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Anna  M.  IGnntiahnrp-Pntta.  M.  i 

1914.  BuENA   Vista   Avcnue 
Alameda,  California.  U.  S.  A. 


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THE  LOGIC  OF  A  LIFETIME 


BY 


ANNA  M.  LONGSHORE-POTTS.  M.  D. 


AUTHOR   OF 
"DISCOURSES  TO   WOMEN,"  MENTOLOGY," 

ETC. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

ALAMEDA,  CALIFORNIA,  U.  R.  A. 

1911 


Copyright.  1911 


DEDICATION 

AVIXG  traveled  over  most  of  the  English 
speaking  districts  of  both  continents,  in 
just  consideration  of  the  high  esteem  and 
good  will  I  hold  for  the  numerous  friends 
I  found,  and  the  multitudes  of  grateful  patrons  of  both 
hemispheres,  I  dedicate  this  book,  feeling  it  a  great 
pleasure  to  place  these  articles  before  them,  for  their 
deliberate  consideration,  and  if,  by  the  perusal  of  the 
varied  subjects,  they  may  see  more  in  life  worth  the 
living,  and  nothinp-  in  the  future  to  arouse  dread  or 
fear,  I  will  be  repaid  for  my  efifort  and  shall  be  well- 
pleased  in  having  done  my  duty  in  leaving  this  volume 


as  a  souvenir. 


THE    AUTHOR. 


235382 


PREFACE 


S  the  mind  often  becomes  wearied  and 
oppressed  in  the  reading  of  long  and  con- 
tinued chapters,  this  book  was  written  in 
separate  essays.  One  can  read  an  article 
then  lay  the  volume  aside  and  reflect  upon  the  subject 
and  at  leisure  read  another,  without  having  to  refer  to 
the  preceding  chapter  to  maintain  a  connection. 

The  articles  are  all  of  a  religio-moral  and  metaphys- 
ical character,  non-sectarian  and  of  spiritual  purport; 
that  is  they  do  not  relate  to  material  affairs  with  as 
much  emphasis  as  to  the  higher  side  of  life,  which  by 
man}^  is  much  neglected. 

During  my  prolonged  and  varied  experiences  with  a 
vast  multitude  of  the  world's  people,  my  life  has  been 
chiefly  devoted  to  the  cause  and  treatment  of  physical 
ailments  with  but  little  time  to  appeal  to  the  moral  or 
spiritual  welfare  of  my  patrons  or  the  public;  therefore, 
to  make  my  work  more  complete  and  to  bridge  the 
space  neglected,  I  have  herein  given  my  conclusions, 
convictions,  beliefs  and  decisions  in  regard  to  the  vari- 
ous subjects  included,  which  may  be  truthfully  termed 
the  "Logic  of  a  Lifetime." 

ANNA  M.  LONGSHORE-POTTS,  M.D. 

1914  Buena  Vista  Avenue. 
Alameda.  California.  U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Justice,   Mercy   and    Love 7 

Man's    Place    of    Power 12 

Gravitation    and    Ascension 19 

The   Personality  of   God 22 

Jacob's    Ladder     26 

A   Glimpse   of   Heaven 30 

Indisputable    Law    32 

What   Is   Man? 2,7 

Time  and  Its  Wonders 42 

Positive   and    Negative    Forces 47 

Beauty   Unadorned    52 

Thoughts    upon    Law    58 

An  Appeal  for  Woman 63 

The    Blessings   of   Misfortune 67 

Harmony    and     Equality 72 

Man,  the  Unsolved  Problem 77 

Wealth  Worth  the  Seeking 85 

Early   Moral   Training 91 

Two  Worlds — Earth  and  Heaven 95 

Human    Exaltation    100 

Spiritual    Awakening     104 

Thanksgiving     108 

God    Reigns    110 

Materialization     116 

The    Law   of   Redemption 123 

Christ  the  Teacher  and   Example 129 

Substantial    Wealth     135 

Human   Redemption    144 

Character   Making    152 

Woman's   Place   of   Power    159 

Man's   Natural  Ascent    164 

Diversity  a   Law  of  Nature 168 

Progressive     Philosophy 175 

The    Willing    Hand 180 

The   Preparatory   Stage 183 

Moderation  in   All   Things 187 

The   Worldly    Example    192 

Man    and    Eternity 198 

Be  Up  and  Doing 202 

Experimental    Knowledge     205 

Man   and   Woman    209 

The   Soul  and   Body 213 


CONTENTS— Continued 

Page 

Choose   Wisely    217 

Beneficial    Influence    221 

Life  and   Its  Sequence    225 

How  to  Be   Happy    22?^ 

Successful    Generation 231 

For    What    to    Live 238 

Trust  in  God,  the   Father 241 

Success    vs.    Defeat 244 

Correlation   of   Man   with   God 249 

Know    Thyself    255 

We  Reap  as  We  Sow 260 

Warranted    Rebellion    263 

Exalted    Beauty    268 

The  Efficacy  of  Prayer 271 

Man's   High   Estate    280 

The    Soul's    Unrest    284 

The    Light   Within 287 

The    Vicissitudes    of   Time 291 

Progressive     Happiness 294 

The   Reward  of  Iniquity    297 

The  God  of  the  Hebrews 301 


THE  LOGIC  OF  A  LIFETIME 


JUSTICE,    MERCY   AND    LOVE 

^jtti  ITH  justice  as  the  watchword,  mercy  as 
Jf^  the  compass,  and  love  as  the  rudder,  the 
ship  of  life  would  move  upon  the  troubled  waters 
as  upon  a  placid  sea ;  the  wind  may  blow  but 
the  craft  is  safe. 

Mercy  to  all  men,  for  human  nature  is  but 
weak,  even  with  the  strongest,  and  circum- 
stances press  so  hard  at  times  that  moral  courage 
and  strength  of  will  give  way,  just  as  the  sides 
of  a  weather-beaten  ship  break  down  at  sea 
before  the  voyage  is  ended ;  but  no  one  blames 
the  ship  for  what  the  winds  and  waves  have 
done ;  we  are  merciful  towards  it.  Neither  do 
we  condemn  the  storm,  though  many  lives  are 
lost. 

Human  nature  is  subject  to  laws  as  stringent 
as  those  controlling  the  winds  and  waves,  but 
sometimes  it  will  give  way. 

When  the  mental  tempest  rages,  and  the  storm 
of  passion  or  seeming  necessity  outweighs   the 


8  Tlin    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIMF 

ballast  reason,  the  human  barge  may  roll  and 
toss  until  at  last,  in  a  moment  of  condensed 
emotion,  a  deed  is  done  that  was  unpremeditated 
and  unconceived  of  while   in  a  calmer  state. 

So  mercy  should  be  meted  out,  as,  under  simi- 
lar circumstances,  we  would  claim  a  merciful 
decision  for  ourselves. 

Justice  is  a  stern  decree,  and  should  be  granted 
to  all,  but  where  justice  ends  and  error  begins 
is  a  point  for  deep  reflection,  and  requires  cautious 
minds  to  decide  the  case.  In  human  nature 
there  are  many  phases,  and  suddenly  the  changes 
come,  and  at  unexpected  times. 

There  is  really  no  more  reliability  in  the  moral 
status  of  mankind  than  in  the  more  material 
works  of  God.  The  highest  mountains  m?iy 
shake  and  fall,  the  heaviest  rocks  may  be  dis- 
placed, and  caverns  may  be  formed  w^here  once 
the  land  seemed  safe — so  secure  that  homes 
were  built  and  occupied,  cities  were  founded  and 
all  manner  of  business  there  installed ;  when,  in 
an  hour's  time,  all  is  made  desolate  by  the  yawn- 
ing of  the  earth  and  everything  is  gone ;  or  a 
conflagration  lays  waste  the  accumulated  wealth 
of  many  years  and  a  great  loss  of  life,  if  not 
destruction  to  the  place. 

Men  stand  aghast  as  they  behold  the  wreck 
and  ruins,  but  no  one  condemns,  no  one  dares  to 
reflect  on  Deity  for  the  quaking  of  the  earth, 
for  a  cloudburst  or  a  fire  from  lightning. 


JUSTICE,    MERC\'    AND    LOVE  ^ 

Then  why  not  reason  on  the  same  line  in 
regard  to  human  nature?  There  are  none  so 
sane  but  the  mind  can  be  distracted,  and  what 
was  once  supposed  to  be  a  rational,  conscien- 
tious person  may,  without  a  moment's  warning, 
change  to  be  a  maniac,  or  an  unbalanced  mind 
at  least. 

Some  may  believe  they  are  built  on  solid  rock, 
but  there  is  always  danger". 

That  God  is  spirit  all  admit,  and  that  God  is 
everywhere,  omniscient  and  omnipotent ;  and  we. 
His  children,  assume  that  we  share  largely  in  His 
nature.  As  is  written,  "Ye  are  the  temple  of 
God  and  the  spirit  of  God  dwells  in  you,"  would 
indicate  a  great  oneness  with  the  Father ;  but 
spirit,  mingled  with  material  substance,  has  not 
full  control,  for  human  bodies  are  often  built  of 
very  poor  material,  and  stability  is  not  main- 
tained. 

The  unfortunately  deformed  whom  we  often 
see  must  suffer  the  want  of  physical  harmony. 

The  feeble  minded  are  excused  to  a  degree, 
but  if  the  facts  were  understood  some  who  show 
to  best  advantage,  being  pretentious  and  well 
accepted,  would  be  but  a  few  degrees  above  the 
so-called  feeble.  There  are  often  weak  points 
in  character  not  to  be  observed  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  but  when  the  fire  of  passion  is 
aroused  by  some  mental  incendiary  who,  perhaps, 
little   thought   a   spark   so   small   would   quickly 


10  Tin-:    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFli    TIMM 

ignite  the  mental  structure,  it  will  crash  and  fall. 
One  is  no  more  at  fault  than  is  the  other. 

The  mentally  distorted  may  commit  a  felony; 
he  may  slay  his  friend,  may  kill  his  brother,  for 
now  he  is  abnormal ;  his  mind  is  partially 
dethroned ;  the  wheels  of  his  intellect  are  turned 
in  the  opposite  direction,  and  the  spirit  within 
acts  to  correspond  with  the  distorted  condition. 
The  organs  of  his  brain  are  congested,  a  mental 
conflagration,  and  the  indwelling  spirit,  though 
of  God,  is  working  counter  to  the  normal  plan. 

All  the  faculties  of  force  are  doubled  or  trebled 
in  their  action.  The  lower  organs  at  the  base  of 
reason  are  like  the  sleepers  in  a  house  on  fire. 

The  elements  of  self-defense  are  magnified  and 
the  God  within  is  struggling  with  the  demon 
hate ;  and  with  the  implements  reversed  and  the 
heat  of  passion  raging,  some  terrible  result  may 
follow.  But  the  man  is  not  to  blame;  he  is  not 
responsible  any  more  than  the  tenement  of  wood 
when  set  on  fire. 

A  lighted  match  is  but  a  little  thing,  yet  it  has 
the  power  to  inflame  a  city  to  its  ultimate 
destruction.  So  may  little  words  and  trivial 
actions  inflame  the  mind  of  man  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  human  life,  most  unexpected  and  unpre- 
meditated. 

Mercy  with  clemency  should  be  meted  out  to 
all  offenders  of  the  moral  law,  and  love  should 
do  its  perfect  work  in  leading  such  to  a  higher 


JUSTICE,    MERCY    AND    LOVE  11 

life  and  lifting  the  intellect  to  a  more  ennobling 
plane  of  thought. 

Kindness  and  instruction  would  rapidly  modify 
such  unfortunate  beings,  and  as  the  higher  facul- 
ties are  encouraged  they  would  develop  as  rulers 
of  the  lower  ones,  and  they  could  quell  the  impul- 
sive, passionate  nature  and  keep  it  in  subjection 
as  had  never  before  been  possible. 

Loving  help  could  bring  a  change  to  the  hard- 
est hearted,  and  many  who  today  are  languish- 
ing under  heavy  chains  in  dark  and  grewsome 
cells,  concealed  from  every  kindly  face,  might 
become  more  docile  than  those  who  have  charge 
of  them.  And  those  who  wearily  spend  the  long 
days  and  nights  in  subterranean  solitude  await- 
ing summons  to  the  gallows  or  electric  chair 
might,  if  humanely  taught  and  gently  trained, 
become  useful,  self-respecting  citizens  and  would 
spurn  the  thought  of  repeating  the  act  that  heated 
passion  prompted  while  in  a  dark  and  morbid 
state. 

Let  the  age  be  what  it  may,  the  intellect  is 
often  young,  and  through  force  of  circumstances 
seeks  revenge  or  self-protection  through  the  law 
of  force  instead  of  following  the  precepts  and 
example  of  Christ,  our  teacher  and  our  brother. 
His  benediction  is  not  secured  by  merely  quoting 
the  words  of  wisdom  He  pronounced,  but  by 
living    the    righteous    way    and    practicing    self- 


12  TIM-:    LOCIC    OF    A    I. IKK    '1  I  M  !•: 

control  and  moderation  in  all  things,  with  univer- 
sal charity. 

To  live  the  Christlikc  life  through  all  its 
phases',  its  vexations  and  its  many  troubles,  is 
required  of  the  human  species  who  claim  the 
high  position  of  being  next  to  God  as  the  most 
exalted  of  all  His  living  creatures;  if  so,  then  let 
us  be  Godly  for  conscience  sake. 


MAN'S    PLACE    OF    POWER 

^HE  Jews  in  ancient  times,  with  implicit  con- 
W  fidence  looked  to  God  for  every  favor,  and 
as  the  Ruler  of  their  kingdom,  and  as  their  per- 
sonal guide.  They  consulted  Him  about  all 
things  spiritual  and  material.  Their  prayers  were 
answered,  as  they  believed,  and  they  acted 
accordingly;  and  when  they  disobeyed  the  com- 
mands of  Deity  they  invariably  had  to  suffer  the 
consequence  and  eventually  returned  in  their 
appeals  to  Him  who  rules  the  universe;  and 
when  they  yielded  to  His  instructions  their 
course  was  clear  and  their  way  made  easy.  And 
so  it  might  be  today  if  the  human  family  would 
but  seek  their  knowledge  from  the  Source 
Divine    and    then    obey    the    injunctions    given. 


man's  place  of  rnwER  13 

Life  for  all  would  be  much  easier  and  greater 
peace  would  reign  throughout  the  households  and 
the  nations. 

Having  one  high  Judge,  one  Advisor  whose 
knowledge,  wisdom  and  goodness  is  supreme, 
whose  perception  of  human  wants  surpasses  the 
knowledge  of  all  earthly  rulers,  whose  mandates 
are  for  the  good  of  all  humanity,  no  courts  of 
justice  need  be  planned;  no  tribunals  need  pre- 
side over  the  perpetrators  of  evil  deeds.  What 
seemed  to  be  wrong  could  be  corrected  and  better 
ways  established  if  the  appeal  was  made  to  Him 
who  is  justice,  peace,  wisdom,  and  who  is  perfect 
love,  who  is  able  to  control  His  children  as  He 
does  the  management  of  the  planetary  system. 

H  justice  were  taught  and  brotherly  love 
deeply  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  all,  the 
world  could  be  made  to  know  that  all  things 
were  for  the  good  of  the  human  race  and  that 
one  in  God's  love  stands  equal  to  another  and 
all  have  an  equal  right  to  live ;  that  wealth  is  an 
evidence  of  stealth,  of  a  selfish  usurption,  and  only 
secured  by  force  ;  that  the  man  poor  in  worldly 
goods  is  worthy  of  more  respect  than  the  man 
who  has  gathered  up  a  great  surplus  of  land  and 
gold  as  a  legally  justified  robber  of  his  race  and 
kind. 

To  live  a  life  of  peace,  of  honesty  and  love,  one 
must  share  with  others  and  plan  for  them  to 
share  likewise  both  in  the  comforts  of  life  and 


14  Tnii:  r.ocic  of  a  life  time 

the  opportunities  to  rise  to  a  standard  of  equality, 
intelligence  and   wisdom  by  general  consent. 

Assemblies  of  men  and  women  might  convene 
for  the  consideration  of  human  needs,  for  the 
investigation  of  individual  ability,  and  to  advo- 
cate justice,  mercy  and  love,  and  by  such  means 
learn  that  all  persons  are  not  organized  to  occupy 
the  same  position  in  business  affairs  or  society. 
Individuals  must  to  a  great  extent  follow  the 
trend  of  their  mental  as  well  as  their  physical 
organization.  They  were  not  instrumental  in 
their  advent  to  earth  and  they  are  indelibly 
stamped  from  birth  with  traits  in  disposition  and 
character,  with  perhaps  a  predominance  of  nat- 
ural strength  in  some  particular  directions  and 
a  deficiency  in  others. 

The  evidence  is  apparent  that  we  are  cast  in 
a  certain  mold  over  which  we  have  but  a  very 
moderate  control.  The  short  person  finds  it 
impossible  to  approach  the  stature  of  his  taller 
friend.  The  predominance  of  any  one  tempera- 
ment will  be  the  guide  of  development  for  each 
person.  It  would  be  unreasonable  for  one  of 
the  motive  temperament  to  train  himself  into  the 
pronounced  vital,  or  vice  versa.  The  same  diffi- 
culty would  be  in  evidence  relative  to  mental 
endowments. 

Like  the  varied  pieces  of  machinery,  each  and 
all  being  built  differently  have  a  particular  adapt- 
ability  and   a   place   to   fill   in   the   performance   of 


MAX  S    PLACE    OF    POV.'ER 


15 


their  great  work  when  we  who  select  them  are 
wise  enough  to  understand  for  which  place  each 
one  is  fitted. 

In  visiting  the  great  mechanical  department 
of  the  World's  Fair,  we  saw  there  stored  away 
hundreds  of  specimens  of  machinery  each  fitted 
to  work  in  its  specific  position  and  for  the  pur- 
pose it  was  designed,  and  if  an  attempt  was  made 
to  force  all  of  these  different  samples  to  work  in 
the  sanie  field  of  labor  there  would  be  a  failure 
in  the  result,  terminating  in  the  destruction  of 
the  mechanism  and  damage  to  the  material 
involved  in  the  experiment. 

The  mower  can  not  thresh  the  grain;  the 
cradle  can  not  sow  it.  The  machinery  must  be 
harmoniously  connected  to  work  together  for  the 
attainment  of  the  object'  in  viev\'.  The  piano 
could  not  supply  the  family  with  well-made  gar- 
ments, nor  the  sewing  machine  record  your 
thoughts  as  could  the  automatic  writer. 

All  these  various  machines  may  be  useful,  and 
all  may  be  well  constructed,  but  we  must  in  wis- 
dom select  the  right  machine  to  do  the  work 
expected  or  failures  will  result — not  the  fault  of 
the  machine,  but  mistakes  in  application. 

The  tiny  watch  may  note  the  passing  time  as 
accurately  as  would  the  massive  clock.  The  one 
is  convenient  and  fills  its  place  for  personal  use, 
while  the  other  is  so  constructed  as  to  meet  the 
wants  of  many. 


16  TIII£    LOGIC   or    A    LIFE    TIME 

Who  would  condemn,  arrest  or  prosecute  the 
tiny  watch,  although  being  a  time-keeper  it  failed 
to  arouse  the  attention  of  a  thousand  people  by 
its  sonorous  sounds  at  the  approach  of  each  suc- 
ceeding hour?  Yet  each  has  its  special  impor- 
tance in  the  necessity  of  man. 

Human  beings  are  more  diversified  in  their 
mental  and  physical  developments  than  all  the 
machinery  made  by  man  the  world  may  choose 
to  exhibit.  Yet  there  is  no  discord  nor  warfare 
arising  from  the  selection  of  one  in  preference 
to  another  if  the  position  where  each  is  fitted  is 
understood. 

We  require  knowdedge  in  regard  to  what  we 
desire  in  the  human  operator  to  successfully  work 
out  the  tasks  appointed,  as  in  the  selection  of 
machinery.  First  we  discover  w'hat  we  wish,  just 
what  duties  are  required,  then  apply  our  reason 
to  the  selection  of  the  worker  and  not  accept  an 
opposite  nature  to  what  we  really  need,  through 
favor  of  kinship  or  friendly  motives,  or  commis- 
sion granted  for  the  choice  when  there  is  no 
actual  qualification  to  merit  such  a  position.  For 
example,  if  we  wish  the  services  of  a  mechanic, 
do  not  select  a  literary  man ;  if  we  require  some 
ditching  done  to  drain  the  land  for  tillage,  or 
excavation  for  a  building  site,  do  not  select  as 
workman  the  man  whose  talents  preponderate 
toward  metaphysics,  whose  flesh  is  soft,  whose 
brains  are  fitted  for  entirely  diflferently  labor. 


man's  place  of  power  17 

If  human  beings  were  studied  with  the  interest 
devoted  to  mathematics  or  machinery,  to  states- 
manship or  theology,  there  would  be  much 
greater  harmony ;  and  much  more  satisfactory 
results  would  follow  in  every  grade  of  life.  Then 
every  man  or  woman  if  not  idiotic  or  deformed 
would  find  a  rightful  place  to  exercise  ability 
and  we  should  soon  discover  the  great  necessity 
for  all  the  strong  and  all  the  weak  and  for  the 
large  and  small.  The  quick-witted  and  the  more 
stolid  class  would  find  positions  fitted  to  their 
qualifications,  and  the  machinery  of  the  world 
would  claim  each  and  all  as  necessary  factors, 
as  in  mechanics,  a  hinge  or  screw,  a  nail  or  piece 
of  wood  make  up  the  whole  complete.  Some- 
times a  great  machine  will  cease  to  work  if  just 
a  little  screw  is  loose  or  if  the  band  that  moves 
the  wheel  does  not  keep  in  place. 

The  great  town  clock  would  be  a  worthless 
thing  were  it  not  for  the  heavy  weights,  or  if  the 
hammer  failed  to  strike  the  sounding  bell,  or  if 
the  hands  should  fall  away.  So  with  the  smallest 
and  humblest  specimen  of  man ;  but  put  him  in 
the  place  for  which  he  was  intended  and  no  bet- 
ter could  be  found  and  satisfaction  would  accrue 
to  all. 

It  would  not  be  so  difficult  to  live  in  peace  and 
love,  if  man  made  himself  a  subject  of  greater 
study.  The  nature  and  qualities  of  the  animal 
kingdoms   arouse   more   interest   than  the  traits 


18  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    MFI-:   TIME 

and  idiosyncrasies  of  the  human  family.  If  more 
charity  and  mercy  were  exercised  and  more 
patience  were  displayed  all  would  be  happy  and 
the  trials  of  life  would  be  reduced  in  degree 
and  quality  and  man  would  lend  a  helping  hand. 

In  securing  a  home,  a  place  of  rest  with  all 
the  necessary  comforts,  one  should  be  honest, 
truthful  and  considerate  of  the  laws  of  justice 
which,  in  this  age  of  human  affairs,  are  much  neg- 
lected. The  rich  in  this  world's  goods  are  made 
popular  to  reign,  or  at  least  they  are  the  most 
eligible  class  to  occupy  positions  of  trust,  to 
whom,  for  peace,  the  masses  yield,  and  in  many 
cases  it  is  apparent  that  as  wealth  accumulates 
the  confidence  of  people  finds  reason  to  decrease. 

This  class  is  not  usually  competent  to  decide 
for  the  hard  workers  for  life's  comforts.  Many 
of  the  financially  renowned  secured  their  booty 
through  avarice  and  greed  and  many  times 
through  a  violation  of  the  laws  of  equity  and 
righteousness  or  through  the  assumption  that 
might  makes  right,  and  for  themselves  and  those 
they  chose  to  favor  they  claimed  all  they  could 
secure. 

If,  through  some  disaster,  the  country  is  del- 
uged in  poverty  and  distress,  advantage  is  taken 
of  the  circumstance  and  the  value  of  products  is 
increased  to  the  alarming  extent  that  many 
famish  for  want  of  food  while  the  few  with  means 
at  hand  meet  the  extravagant  demand.     These 


man's  place  of  power  19 

selfish,  ungodly  and  prosperous  in  this  world's 
goods  became  so  well  supplied  that  their  crowded 
coffers  stand  an  evidence  that  money  lends  power 
to  man  and  hence  is  sought  for  by  the  ambitious 
class  who  covet  this  power  more  than  the  spirit 
of  God,  as  was  manifest  in  Jesus  Christ  as  a 
means  to  humanize  and  raise  the  souls  of  men  to 
a  standard  of  equality  and  brotherhood. 


GRAVITATION    AND    ASCENSION 

^rHE  law  of  gravitation  acts  upon  all  material 
\mJ^  things,  and  downward  toward  the  earth 
they  tend.  Heavy  bodies  make  more  rapid 
progress  than  objects  of  less  weight. 

All  spirit  tends  towards  Deity.  All  life  gravi- 
tates toward  its  origin,  toward  the  source  from 
whence  it  sprang,  as  naturally  as  for  the  spark 
to  ascend.  The  difference  in  time  for  spirit  to 
meet  its  natural  source  depends  not  upon  the 
law  of  gravity  but  upon  the  law  of  godliness,  and 
is  reverse  in  action  from  the  material  plan.  The 
heavier  the  spirit  is  in  good  deeds  performed,  in 
just  and  righteous  acts,  the  more  rapid  is  the 
ascent  to  its  source,  for  both  the  material  and  the 
spiritual  naturally  tend  to  their  individual  source 


20  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

of  origin.  The  more  righteously  inclined,  the 
more  rapidly  the  soul  ascends  to  the  throne  of 
God. 

Those  souls  held  down  by  earthly  ties  and  by 
the  love  for  material  things  will  find  greater 
obstacles  in  the  way;  the  path  will  be  obstructed 
and  much  debris  must  be  removed  before  there 
will  be  an  entrance  to  the  holy  gates  of  precious 
pearl,  to  the  footstool  of  Deity.  If  we  wish  a 
feather  to  make  a  rapid  fall  to  earth  we  can 
attach  to  it  a  piece  of  lead  and  the  desired  end 
will  come.  The  greater  load  of  good  deeds  per- 
formed, of  sympathy  expressed,  of  kind  acts 
toward  the  feeble  or  oppressed,  the  more  com- 
forts we  bestow,  the  more  mercy  w^e  extend,  the 
more  love  we  give  to  people  here  below,  the  more 
rapid  will  be  our  course  heavenward  or  upward 
toward  the  great  center  of  all  goodness  and  per- 
fection. 

The  mortal  teachings  almost  ignore  the  laws 
of  gravity  or  ascension  for  the  better  part  of 
human  nature.  The  balances  are  carefully  made 
and  the  weights  exact  that  determine  the  amount 
of  gold  in  any  given  nugget.  The  precious  metal 
must  be  deftly  removed  from  the  dross  or  min- 
eral that  surrounds  it  and  there  must  be  no  alloy. 
Pure  gold  alone  will  suffice  for  the  traffic  in 
earthly  merchandise,  but  in  the  spiritual  realm 
the  precision  is  not  surpassed  by  earth  in  the 
requirements  of  purity  of  purpose  and  value  of 


GRAVITATION    AND   ASCENSION  21 

spirit  worth  to  serve  as  currency  in  the  higher 
spheres. 

So  in  hope  of  future  happiness  while  we  remain 
on  earth  or  after  we  give  up  the  mortal  form  for 
the  real  sijbstantial  wealth,  let  us  look  to  the 
higher  law  that  gravitates  all  life,  whether  on 
this  plane  or  in  the  more  celestial  spheres.  The 
laws  are  even  more  unchanging  in  regard  to  soul 
advancement  than  any  earthly  statutes  conceived 
by  men  to  be  correct  and  just  for  human  beings 
in  this  primary  state  as  preparatory  to  a  success- 
ful business  life. 

But  this  earth  existence  is  but  a  day,  an 
hour,  but  a  moment  to  compare  with  all  eternity, 
and  in  wisdom  we  should  do  more  to  develop 
self,  to  prepare  for  the  now,  and  such  prepara- 
tion would  be  an  upward  march  to  eternity.  To 
work  with  that  intent  would  add  to  our  profit 
here  if  our  lives  should  be  prolonged  to  a  hundred 
years.  To  engross  our  time  in  amassing  wealth 
or  for  daily  pleasure,  we  shall  fail  in  securing 
either  happiness  or  longevity. 

If  it  is  for  riches,  by  the  time  it  is  in  sight  or 
perhaps  in  hand,  by  one  error  in  calculation  the 
wealth  may  hurriedly  pass  away  and  while  we 
sorrow,  others  may  rejoice  who  have  secured  the 
benefit.  And  if  life  is  only  for  the  passing  of 
time  in  pleasure  it  will  be  as  a  burning  house — 
the  flames  excite  our  admiration  as  they  roll  and 
wrap  and  reach  above  and  grasp  at  every  object 


22  Tin-:    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

near.  W'e  stand  and  praise  the  brightness  and 
the  beauty,  but  if  it  should  be  our  house  no 
sorrow  could  exceed  the  circumstances — our  prop- 
erty lost  and  all  our  labor  wasted.  So  let  us 
live  a  higher  life  and  we  shall  more  glory  win. 


THE  PERSONALITY  OF  GOD 

AS  the  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  universe,  the 
personality  of  God  we  might  disclaim. 

We  can  not  conceive  of  the  necessity  of  form, 
or  shape  to  embody  intelligence,  wisdom  and 
love,  whose  range  is  world  wide  and  encompasses 
the  universe,  while  spirit  of  the  highest  order 
may  combine  them  all,  with  attributes  from  us 
concealed,  from  want  of  power  to  understand, 
such  as  are  beyond  the  ability  of  mortal  man. 

The  finite  mind  has  no  capacity  to  define  the 
Infinite;  and  any  attempt  but  ends  in  a  defeat. 
All  the  light  that  man  can  possibly  receive  in 
regard  to  the  ruling  power  of  the  world  is  from 
the  objective  side.  To  count  the  stars  in  the  light 
of  the  shining  sun  would  be  no  greater  task  than 
to  estimate  the  attributes  and  possibilities  of 
Deity. 


THE    PERSONALITY    OF    GOD  23 

Man  may  live  his  alloted  time  on  earth  and 
then  abide  in  spirit  life  ten  thousand  years  with 
an  addition  of  ten  thousand  more,  and  at  the  end 
he  would  be  no  wiser  in  regard  to  Deity  than 
when  he  made  his  advent  here.  Through  all 
those  long  years  of  time  a  greater  mystery  would 
enshroud  the  subject,  and  a  greater  confirmation 
of  the  utter  impossibility  to  comprehend  the 
vastness  of  the  Infinite. 

It  would  be  as  reasonable  to  believe  that  a 
mouse  or  spider  could  comprehend  the  work- 
manship and  nature  of  the  architect  who  planned 
the  house  to  which  it  gains  admission,  or  for  an 
angleworm  to  try  to  teach  other  creeping  things 
how  the  earth  became  its  hiding  place,  or  how 
the  earth  was  formed,  assuming  that  it  was  exclu- 
sively a  habitation  for  its  own  kind. 

Each  species  of  living  things  has  a  fitness  in 
the  world  and  what  is  required  by  one  is  not,  in 
every  respect,  just  fitted  for  another;  and  when 
we  come  to  man  we  find  a  broader  field  for  him 
to  work  in  and  greater  wants  and  necessities  cor- 
responding with  his  development,  but  when  man 
transcends  his  own  ability  in  his  ambition  to 
assume  the  task  of  defining  the  intrinsic  proper- 
ties of  the  Creator  and  proclaims  upon  his  per- 
sonality, he  has  outdone  the  limits  of  his  mental 
power ;  he  has  assumed  beyond  his  evidence,  and 
the  effect  would  be  to  lead  his  listeners  astray 
and  to  weaken  their  faith  in  the  majesty  of  the 


24  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Most  High,  and  His  infinite  attitude  is  humbled 
by  comparison  with  feeble,  wayward  man. 

The  mind  of  man  has  no  power  to  comprehend 
in  the  least  degree  this  great  preva'ling  princi- 
ple, jncluding  all  law,  all  wisdom,  all  love  and  All 
in  All  of  everything  on  earth  and  in  the  vast 
beyond. 

And  when  he  personates,  defines,  explains  and 
expounds  that  of  which  he  is  uninformed,  the 
effect  upon  the  less  pretentious  class  would  be 
to  lessen  the  depth  of  reverence  and  the  sub- 
limity of  faith  when  he  arrives  at  the  familiar 
thought  of  God's  likeness  to  himself,  and  idola- 
try would  soon  usurp  the  place  of  true  worship 
for  the  eternal  and  everlasting  God,  and  before 
the  mind  was  conscious  of  its  fall  it  would  be 
bowing  as  the  heathen  before  his  hand-made  god, 
or  the  Indian  who  worships  the  great  Father 
who  abides  in  the  happy  hunting  ground  where 
good  Indians  go  after  death  to  hunt  and  fish. 

It  is  for  man  to  practice  the  good  he  knows; 
to  be  obedient  to  the  laws  of  love ;  to  do  to  others 
as  he  would  have  them  do  to  him ;  to  be  merciful 
and  kind ;  to  forgive  the  unwise  acts  of  others  as 
he  would  be  forgiven ;  to  seek  the  good  from 
any  and  every  source ;  to  compare  his  actions 
with  the  acts  of  others,  and  when  he  finds  his 
virtue  weakened  and  his  conscience  seared,  com- 
pare the  injury  done  by  him  to  the  kind  and 
just  deeds  of  others  and  resolve  to  be  more  con- 


THE    PERSONALITY    OF    GOD 


25 


siderate  and  refuse  to  yield  henceforth  to  any 
supposed  want  or  appetite,  passion  or  selfish 
greed  that  may  allure,  but  rise  heroically  above 
the  weaknesses  of  human  nature  to  a  higher 
grade  of  thought ;  to  the  aspiration  of  being  a 
man  of  truth,  love  and  righteousness,  and  thus 
advance  every  day  toward  the  precepts  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Example  and  The  Way. 

To  follow  in  the  line  of  justice  with  good  will 
to  all  men ;  to  listen  to  the  gentle  whisperings 
of  the  Teacher  and  imitate  His  course  in  life, 
would  lead  to  the  throne  of  peace,  there  to  receive 
the  inheritance  of  eternal  life,  light  and  love. 

That  an  example  could  be  granted  as  a  guide 
for  wayward  man  was  the  mission  of  the  Saviour. 
He  came  to  raise  the  human  race  from  rebellious 
deeds  and  the  rule  of  force;  from  the  love  of  this 
world's  wealth  and  the  worship  of  material 
things,  or  images  of  any  form,  whether  beaten 
out  of  metal  or  carved  from  wood  or  stone,  or 
in  the  form  of  bird  or  beast. 

Goodness  has  no  outlines;  virtue  has  no  rule; 
love  has  no  limit. 

Seek  the  life  of  righteousness  and  in  that 
atmosphere  abide  to  broaden  and  enlarge  in  love. 

Make  all  happy  and  bless  every  one,  thereby 
making  heaven  here  on  earth,  and  dwell  contin- 
ually in  the  Father's  house  of  many  mansions, 
fitted  for  the  different  grades  of  spirit  growth. 


26  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

with  each  grade  so  constituted  that,  through  the 
great  progressive  law,  all  in  time  will  enter  into 
the  effulgency  of  that  supreme  love  and  perfec- 
tion that  man  denominates  the  countenance  of 
God. 


Ul 


JACOB'S    LADDER 

^iHE  ladder  of  which  Jacob  dreamed  is  still 
1/  planted  on  the  earth  and  reaches  heaven- 
ward, upon  which  angels  descend  and  ascend  as 
they  make  their  visits  to  those  yet  living  in  the 
form. 

Pure  thoughts  are  thus  transported  from  the 
throne  of  God  to  the  merest  child  that  lives,  and 
messages  from  the  souls  of  men  are  carried  back 
as  gems  gathered  from  a  mine. 

Up  and  down  the  ladder  spirits  of  the  present 
day,  as  well  as  of  centuries  past,  make  their 
visits  to  the  people  of  earth,  bringing  to  recep- 
tive minds  principles  and  truths  that  are  noise- 
lessly received  and  are  given  forth  by  speech  and 
pen,  unconscious  of  their  origin. 

The  world  of  mortals  and  the  spirit  world  are 
so  united — so  linked  together — that  very  few, 
comparatively,   recognize   the   intimate   relations 


Jacob's  ladder  27 

that  exist  between  the  eternal  spheres  and  the 
realms  of  time,  all  seeming  to  be  filled  by  sen- 
tient beings  without  distinction. 

Time  is  reckoned  by  earth's  people  from  the 
rising  and  the  setting  of  the  sun,  which  serves 
the  purpose  to  define  the  march  of  days  and  tread 
of  years  in  which  their  mortal  work  is  done ;  but 
in  the  world  beyond  the  grave  the  great  spiritual 
Sun  is  ever  shining;  there  being  no  night,  there 
is  no  time  called  day,  but  one  eternal  now. 

No  note  of  time  is  there  required ;  no  diurnal, 
no  annual  chronicle,  except  as  spirit  unfolds  to 
deeper  thought,  as  it  expands  in  wisdom,  as  error 
is  discarded  and  truth  made  clear. 

The  greater  amount  of  love  that  fills  the  soul 
and  radiates  to  others  might  be  measured  as  the 
greater  time,  but  the  hand  of  avarice  and  the 
heart  of  greed  would  seem  to  be  contracted  so 
small  and  narrow  that  life  is  short,  for  time  is 
always  short  where  nothing  is  being  done ;  but 
when  the  soul  that  is  freed  from  earth  conceives 
the  thought  that  others  are  needing  help,  and  as 
he  brings  upon  his  lambent  wings  the  dew  of 
refreshing  knowledge  and  baptizes  such  as  thirst 
for  the  waters  of  redemption,  the  lifting  of  his 
soul  has  been  so  great  that  years  have  been  lived 
in  a  period  very  brief. 

To  live  is  to  work,  and  as  one  directs  his  mind 
and  thoughts  to  doing  good  it  seems  to  shorten 
time  as  gauged  by  days  and  years.     Generous 


28  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

acts  and  kind  appeals  to  the  erring  count  more 
with  Deity  as  a  life-time  than  all  the  years  that 
may  be  spent  in  mercenary  gain  and  toil  for 
earthly  wealth. 

It  is  good  deeds  and  noble  thoughts  that  make 
the  man  and  emphasize  his  life.  Thoughts  are 
deeds  in  embryo.  When  humanity  assumes  the 
role  of  justice  and  deals  out  mercy  instead  of  cen- 
sure, and  bestows  the  warmth  of  kindness  and 
brotherly  love  upon  the  erring  as  upon  the  better 
class ;  when  the  meek  and  lowly  spirit  can  take 
the  place  of  opulence  and  pride,  then  there  will 
be  a  greater  recognition  of  the  presence  of  dis- 
embodied souls  mingling  with  the  souls  incar- 
nate ;  then  the  minds  of  mortals  will  be  in  greater 
harmony  with  the  angelic  sphere  and  the  com- 
munion will  be  more  complete. 

The  sun  may  shine  in  all  his  brilliancy,  but  if 
the  glass  be  clouded  or  coated  with  an  impene- 
trable film  the  rays  of  light  are  obstructed  and  a 
barrier  is  raised  against  the  law  of  light  trans- 
mission. When  the  glass  is  clear  the  rays  can 
penetrate  and  the  objects  beneath  the  transparent 
face  are  warmed  and  illuminated.  So  mortals 
can  and  do  raise  barriers  that  preclude  advan> 
tages  which  might  obtain  from  the  intelligences 
of  a  higher  life,  who  ever  wait  for  opportunity 
to  bless  and  cheer,  and  when  they  are  accepted 
they  bring  the  light  of  wisdom  and  the  warmth 
of  love.     At  times  an  open  space  is  found,  as 


Jacob's  ladder  29 

might  be  on  the  coated  glass,  when  hearts  are 
ready  and  minds  are  clear  to  receive  the  blessings 
•     stored    away.      It    is    then    admittance    can    be 
gained. 

Always  ready,  always  willing  hosts  are  wait- 
ing to  shower  the  balm  of  peace  and  love  upon 
the  world's  inhabitants  for  their  everlasting 
good ;  to  lead  them  up  the  ladder  the  patriarch 
beheld  to  glean  from  the  Elysian  fields  the  flowers 
of  higher  thought,  and  to  encourage  loftier  aims 
in  life,  so  that  when  the  mortal  must  be  laid  aside 
and  the  immortal  asserts  its  claim  to  dwell  nearer 
to  its  God,  the  barriers  may  be  removed  and  the 
ascent  will  be  step  by  step,  and  the  heights  be 
gained  amid  the  shouts  of  joy  and  praise ;  and 
the  songs  of  gladness  that  burst  upon  the  spirit 
ear  of  the  new-born  angel  as  it  enters  the  higher 
sphere  will  remove  the  load  of  doubt  and  lessen 
the  grief  from  parting  with  the  old  familiar 
scenes  of  earth  and  from  friends  there  held  most 
dear. 

The  wealth  of  love,  the  untold  blessings  all 
shall  find  in  store  will  more  than  compensate  for 
the  pain  they  suffered  here  and  for  the  loss  of  the 
world's  material,  perishable  wealth  which  they_ 
had  held  so  dear,  even  as  their  flesh  and  blood, 
and  the  soul  will  be  at  rest  in  the  knowledge  that 
all  things  left  on  earth  of  a  material  kind  will  be 
again  called  back  to  the  elemental  state,  and  that 
oi]  who  are  in  the  soiritual  imas^e  of  the  Saviour 


50  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

must  tread  the  path  that  He  had  trod,  and  that  at 
last,  through  righteous  living  all  shall  bask  in  the 
sunlight  of  God,  our  Father,  through  the  inspir- 
ing love  of  Jesus  Christ. 


© 


A    GLIMPSE    OF    HEAVEN 

^1  HE  glowing  stars  are  symbols  of  the  good 
■/  deeds  of  man,  and  every  kind  word  and 
generous  act  is  a  star  in  his  diadem.  Every  step 
man  takes  toward  righteousness  is  one  step  more 
toward  heaven,  for  heaven  is  not  a  station  on  his 
way;  it  is  the  kingdom  of  unsullied  joy  created 
by  each  one  who  participates  in  its  development. 
Men  talk  of  heaven  as  a  far-ofif  place,  a  location 
with  narrow  entrance  for  the  few  to  pass ;  but 
heaven  is  as  wide  as  space  itself,  and  is  sufficient 
for  the  human  family  and  for  all  the  angels  added. 
It  is  a  condition  of  mind,  of  soul  rest,  of  satis- 
faction ;  an  eternal  home  where  all  are  blest ;  an 
atmosphere  of  peace  and  quietness ;  a  conscious 
state  that  all,  through  good  deeds  and  thoughts, 
create  according  to  work  performed,  and  to  the 
blessings  freely  shed.  Some  call  this  condition 
Karma ;  others  call  it  heaven,  but  the  result  of 
doing  right,  of  being  merciful  and  just  is  expressive 


A    GLIMPSE   OF    HEAVEN  31 

of  the  same,  and  what  the  appellation  is  adds  noth- 
ing to  the  result. 

All  philanthropic  work,  all  deeds  of  love,  all  for- 
giveness, all  thoughts  for  others'  good  unmixed 
with  selfishness,  will  bring  us  nearer,  step  by  step, 
to  that  condition  of  mental  rest  and  peacefulness 
which  means  heaven  for  the  soul.  And  the  greater 
the  cross,  and  the  effort  made  to  help  others  to 
secure  a  better  foothold  on  the  side  of  good,  the 
more  luminous  the  light  will  be  when  the  effort 
is  reflected  like  the  stars  above,  in  the  waters  of 
the  sea. 

It  is  not  the  amount  of  money  spent  in  doing 
good  to  others ;  it  is  the  willingness  to  sacrifice 
the  little  one  may  have  where  help  is  needed,  and 
if  no  worldly  means  is  devoted  to  the  helping  of  the 
helpless,  the  widow's  mite  may  be  in  the  form  of 
words  to  comfort,  and  to  encourage  hope.  Crumbs 
of  bread  may  serve  to  strengthen  some,  where 
others  may  offer  loaves  with  less  effect.  The  star 
will  brighten  and  enlarge  by  the  thought  and  the 
desire  to  help  the  weaker,  and  perhaps,  much 
deluded  soul. 

There  is  need  of  mercy  as  well  as  food.  There 
is  a  want  for  love  as  well  as  bread.  There  are 
many  ways  of  setting  stars  in  the  mental  firma- 
ment, and  the  different  size  and  brilliancy  adds 
splendor  to  the  scene,  and  in  many  instances  the 
smaller  stars  shine  the  brightest.  A  greater  fervor 
was  developed  in  the  process  to  accomplish  some 


32  riiK  l(k;ic  ok  a  life  time 

form  of  good,  and  through  the  self-denial  and  hard- 
ships that  were  brought  to  bear  for  the  result  in 
view,  the  lustre  of  the  gem  became  increased,  until, 
perhaps,  it  really  outshone  the  larger  planets  with 
satellites  to  complete  the  setting. 

So  none  need  hesitate  if  there  is  no  gold  to  spare. 
A  crust  of  bread,  a  broken  garment  or  a  kind, 
encouraging  word  will  dart  above,  and  there  will 
shine  as  an  emblem  from  the  Source  Divine. 


INDISPUTABLE    LAW 

^SJ  EHOLD  the  wisdom  of  the  Creator  in  all  the 
159  wonderful  plans  of  the  universe,  and  in  the 
movements  of  all  therein.  Worlds  upon  worlds 
revolving  with  unerring  certainty  through  space, 
with  suns  and  moons  to  add  to  their  glory  and 
their  use. 

Millions  of  stars  of  different  magnitude,  inhabi- 
ted, no  doubt,  by  beings  suited  to  them,  and 
order  is  maintained  throughout  by  laws  that 
developed  coeval  with  their  existence. 

One  little  world  like  earth  is  more  than  the 
human  mind  can  appreciate  or  understand,  but 
when  we  consider  the  immensity  of  all  the  worlds 
under  the  control   and   jurisdiction  of  the  great 


INDISPUTABLE   LAW 


33 


Master  Spirit,  we  are  bewildered,  dazed  and  con- 
founded beyond  a  possible  power  to  comprehend 
the  vastness  and  importance  of  the  problem. 

There  must  be  fixed  laws  by  which  all  are  gov- 
erned, over  which  man  has  no  control,  and  for 
one  to  presume  that  variations  occur  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  one  class  of  persons  or  of  separate 
individuals  is  presuming  beyond  what  would  or 
could  be  realized. 

These  laws  and  plans  could  not  be  changed, 
revoked  or  nullified  to  suit  emergencies  of  any 
species  or  race,  whether  in  human  form  or  of 
angelic  mold. 

The  world  called  earth  is  equal  to  the  support 
of  her  millions  of  inhabitants  of  the  human  kind, 
and  innumerable  species  of  less  mental  endow- 
ment, but  necessary  factors  for  the  fulfillment  of 
the  great  design ;  all  holding  their  rightful  place, 
and  if  all  were  clamoring  for  their  supposed 
inheritance,  rights  and  privileges  they  might  con- 
ceive to  be  just  from  their  various  abodes,  it 
would  be  an  ineffective  call  upon  the  great  Judge 
of  wrong  and  right.  Each  living  thing  from 
shrub  to  man  must  seek  for  its  own  welfare  the 
best  it  can,  and  one  can  and  does  help  another 
through  laws  immutable  and  always  in  operation. 

The  lowest  grade  of  vegetable  life  prepares  the 
way  for  a  higher  growth.  The  disintegration  of 
the  grass  and  weeds  fertilizes  the  soil  and  affords 
the  requirement  of  the  coming  trees.    The  creep- 


34  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

ing,  crawling  worms  under  the  sod,  through  their 
varied,  restless  movements  and  dissolution  give 
the  earth  a  more  porous  and  enriched  condition, 
that  fruits  and  grains  may  spring  forth  as  food 
for  creatures  upon  the  surface. 

This  work  goes  on  in  an  involuntary  but  lawful 
way.  There  is  no  extra  provision  to  meet  the 
inconvenience  of  any  class  among  the  world 
workers. 

In  the  deep,  broad  ocean  will  be  found  innum- 
erable living  things,  each  preparing  the  way  for 
a  higher  production.  The  lowest,  if  possible, 
might  cry  to  God  most  pleadingly  to  become 
exempt  from  these  formidable  conditions  which 
promise,  if  not  thwarted,  to  destroy  the  whole 
tribe  or  species,  but  no  change  is  made,  the  law 
is  invincible,  incontrovertible,  and  so  on  up 
through  the  many  phases  of  life,  until  the  human 
species  claimed  their  pre-eminence,  their  vaunted 
superiority  over  all  else  the  world  produced,  and 
as  far  as  man  knows,  was  conceived  of  by  the 
mighty  Judge  and  builder  of  all  things. 

Laws  for  mankind  developed  with  his  advent, 
and  these  are  as  inscrutable  to  the  mind  of  man 
as  the  law  for  the  production  of  insects  or  even 
the  first  vegetable  development,  and  here  among 
this  great  varied  kingdom  of  the  human  race, 
with  a  consciousness,  to  some  extent,  of  right  and 
wrong,  when  we  are  oppressed  or  seem  to  be 
verging  to  the  end  of  all  success,  our  appeals  to 


INDISPUTABLE    LAW 


35 


the  great  Jehovah  for  some  special  aid  or  act  of 
Providence  in  our  behalf  would  be  as  utterly 
useless  as  for  the  worm  to  cry  to  God  and  plead 
for  protection  when  the  plow-share  turns  the  soil 
and  lifts  it  up  from  its  hiding  place  to  meet  the 
blazing  sun  or  frigid  atmosphere. 

Mankind  with  reason,  perception  and  some 
understanding  of  physics  should  comprehend  the 
situation  and  should  know  that  he,  in  common 
with  the  weakest  products  of  the  earth,  must 
meet  the  inevitable,  and  if  he  desires  some  change 
or  some  improved  condition  to  add  to  his  com- 
fort and  well  being,  the  only  way  it  can  be 
effected  is  by  his  earnest  endeavor  to  modify  the 
existing  conditions  by  the  application  of  laws 
made  apparent  to  his  mentality,  and  if  help  is 
required  and  more  strength  and  wisdom  to 
accomplish  the  design,  reassure  his  determina- 
tion and  work  hard  for  the  results,  and  through 
desire  wisely  directed,  accumulated  force  may 
change  the  immediate  surroundings,  that  he  may 
perceive  some  chance  to  extricate  himself  or  to 
remove  the  obstacles  from  his  way. 

^Mankind  and  disembodied  spirits  work  to- 
gether for  their  mutual  benefit.  An  appeal  by  or 
through  strong  desire  expressed  or  felt  may  so 
affect  the  vibrations  of  the  atmosphere  and  the 
etheric  elements  that  the  shock  may  be  recog- 
nized in  the  surrounding  world  of  spirits  and 
through  their  aid  the  change  may  come  by  the 


36  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

combined  effort  on  the  part  of  friends  who  recog- 
nize the  earnest  call.  These  are  the  helpers,  and 
when  the  earthly  beinj^^  looks  up  in  spirit  and 
yearningly  asks  for  aid,  if  possible  the  relief  wull 
come  as  the  result  of  law. 

"Ask  and  ye  shall  receive,"  or  be  made  to  feel 
that  all  is  well  through  the  benediction  of  loving 
spirits,  who  comprehend  the  situation,  and  by  the 
joint  efforts  of  helpful  hands  their  powers  are 
increased,  the  hoped  for  blessings  are  made 
apparent  and  the  exhorting  soul  on  earth  relaxes 
his  mental  tension  and  feels  an  answer  has  come, 
an  assurance  that  his  prayer  was  heard  and  that 
God  will  and  does  help  him  to  be  delivered  from 
the  trials  of  life  that  had  weighed  him  down.  The 
suffering  from  disease  or  the  troubles  that  did 
sorely  afflict  him  have  been  dispelled,  all  through 
the  fulfillment  of  law. 

Help  has  been  given  to  mankind  since  the 
world  began ;  and  to  the  animal  kingdom  relief 
has  come  from  spirits  made  aware  of  some  great 
necessity  for  relief.  Through  the  limited  knowl- 
edge of  the  finite  mind  the  response  to  prayer  is 
supposed  to  come  direct  from  the  great  Author 
of  all,  but  the  time  will  come — and  it  is  not  far 
in  the  future — when  the  truth  will  be  revealed 
and  such  error  will  be  swept  away  to  perish 
among  the  many  forrns  and  ceremonies,  beliefs 
and   traditions   handed   down   through    the    cen- 


INDISPUTABLE    LAW  2>1 

turies  to  be  dispelled  and  discarded  as  a  species 
of  idolatry. 

The  human  race  wilF  more  tenderly  rely  upon 
the  kindness,  willingness  and  desire  of  the  unseen 
world  of  well-wishers  and  co-workers  with  man- 
kind. 

A  natural  relationship  between  the  two  worlds 
will  be  established  and  much  error  will  be 
removed  and  truth  will  take  her  rightful  place. 
Then  the  "grave  will  give  up  its  victory,  and 
death  will  lose  its  sting." 


® 


WHAT   IS   MAN? 

II  HE  hosts  of  heaven  come  to  earth  to  teach 
1/  and  guide  the  mortals  here,  for  human  be- 
ings clothed  in  flesh,  sustained  by  material  food 
and  protected  from  the  outside  elements  by 
raiment  fine  or  coarse,  are  but  the  tenements,  the 
living  spirit,  the  spark  divine  which  is  the  real 
I  am,  and  this  the  essence,  the  immortal  part,  is 
the  "All  in  All"  of  man. 

The  body  is  the  shell,  the  cocoon  or  temporary 
garment  of  the  soul,  as  the  shell  about  the  &%'g 
which  is  essential  to  the  unfolding  chick.  We 
might  compare  the  flesh  of  man  to  the  green  and 


38  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Spongy  hull  that  surrounds  the  hard  brown  shell 
of  the  walnut  which  holds  the  essence  or  kernel 
within.  This  hard,  unyielding  part  serves  the 
kernel  as  the  bones  form  a  framework  of  pro- 
tection to  the  man,  and  the  thin,  brown  texture 
that  adheres  to  the  kernel  may  be  said  to  repre- 
sent the  astral  form  or  spirit  covering. 

All  of  these  surroundings  are  essential  for  the 
growth  and  perfection  of  both  the  nut  and  the 
human  kind,  and  the  comparison  may  be  carried 
further.  In  some  instances  this  green,  soft  hull, 
or  outer  covering,  may  be  symmetrical  in  form 
and  present  the  appearance  of  having  perfect  fruit 
within,  but  upon  examination  there  is  found  be- 
neath this  normal  exterior  but  an  embryo  of 
blighted  fruit. 

The  same  or  similar  phenomena  may  be  ob- 
served in  the  human  structure.  The  frame  or 
material  part  may  develop  to  the  usual  size,  the 
features  may  be  faultless,  but  the  soul  or  spirit, 
the  immortal  essence  may  be  dwarfed  and  crip- 
pled through  some  injury  done  by  or  through 
some  parental  influence  upon  which  it  must  de- 
pend for  good  or  evil  results,  as  its  growth  pro- 
ceeds. 

No  doubt  but  souls  are  often  suppressed  while 
in  the  body,  when  the  avenues  of  growth  or 
expansion  are  sealed  before  the  birth,  and  must 
be  more  or  less  retarded  during  life.  The  rays 
of  intelligence  are  barred  from  falling  upon  the 


WHAT    IS    MAN?  39 

poor,  distorted  entity  within,  by  the  dark,  impene- 
trable surroundings  that  check  the  spirit's 
advancement  corresponding  with  the  physical 
development. 

The  orchardist,  to  be  successful,  must  watch 
the  growth  of  every  tree  to  insure  the  desired 
quantity  and  quality  of  fruit.  The  trees  may  grow, 
the  limbs  may  spread  out  and  leaves  may  crown 
each  branch,  but  unless  the  fruit  is  desirable  in 
quantity  and  quality  the  trees  are  useless  and 
the  question  arises,  why  this  failure?  Why  this 
disparity  between  the  growth  of  tree  and  yield 
of  fruit? 

A  scientific  investigation  is  established  to 
ascertain  the  inequality,  and  by  application  of 
the  law  of  growth  and  yield  there  is  a  reward 
of  delicious  fruit  in  satisfactory  quantities. 

On  the  same  lines  must  humanity  be  lifted 
from  the  gross  material  quality  of  sensuous  life 
to  the  coveted  position  of  exalted  spirituality. 
There  is  much  inquiry  into  the  subject  of  how 
children  should  be  educated  to  grasp  the  greatest 
amount  of  information  in  the  shortest  time,  and 
what  system  of  culture  is  best  suited  to  this  end. 

All  students  of  science,  mathematics,  music 
and  art  are  relegated  to  the  same  code  of  laws 
with  the  hope  of  success  in  general  advancement, 
notwithstanding  the  great  difference  in  natural 
ability  and  acumen,  to  grapple  with  the  myster- 
ies of  science  or  to  plunge  into  the  mystic  depths 


40  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

of  art  and  music  with  equal  success,  making  it 
impossible  for  all  to  excel,  or  even  to  prepare 
them  to  enter  the  arena  of  the  lower  ranks  of 
hopeful  novitiates. 

The  ante-natal  influences  being  different  and 
quite  beyond  the  candidate's  control  lays  the 
undeniable  foundation  for  or  against  capabilities 
in  one  or  another  direction.  And  if  the  laws 
undermining  the  early  development  of  the  human 
species  were  considered  with  as  much  interest  as 
the  farmer  takes  in  the  increase  of  a  desirable 
quality  of  stock,  or  the  fruit  grower  in  bringing 
from  his  orchard  the  most  delicious  and  salable 
quality  of  oranges  or  apples,  there  might  be  rec- 
ognized many  great  improvements. 

Before  the  human  foetus  ever  breathes  the  air 
or  assumes  an  independent  life,  the  prospectus 
is  laid  by  ambitious  parents  for  a  specific  and 
elaborate  education  for  the  coming  offspring, 
whether  there  is  an  adaptability  or  otherwise,  for 
certain  achievements,  but  this  most  important 
period  for  the  foundation  of  a  future  superstruc- 
ture is  almost  or  quite  ignored  as  having  any  con- 
nection with  the  future  welfare  of  the  being,  and 
the  result  of  such  neglect  is  so  apparent  that  it 
would  seem  that  the  least  gifted  in  mental  dis- 
crimination could  but  discern  the  importance  of 
an  appropriate  foundation  for  the  desired  end, 
and  that  there  exists  a  great  need  of  more  earnest 
work  in  the  direction  of  the  primary  conditions 


WHAT    IS    MAN  ?  41 

of  having  the  structure  planned  before  it  is  built, 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  growth  of  the  superior 
beings,  and  that  the  germs  or  seeds  of  humanity 
be  of  a  select  and  well-chosen  character;  then 
the  after  work  of  education  would  be  a  much  less 
strenuous  task  for  both  the  young  recipient  and 
the  instructors ;  the  specific  advantages  would 
be  apprehended,  and  a  marked  advancement 
would  be  early  recognized. 

Under  such  laudable  conditions  the  soul 
growth  would  be  rapid,  and  spiritual  charms 
would  so  far  surpass  the  physical  attractions  that 
the  latter  would  be  of  little  importance  compared 
with  the  higher  phases  of  the  gifted  intellect,  and 
unfolded  individualism  which  would  radiate  the 
inner  light  to  attract  and  influence  for  good,  the 
unfortunately  less  gifted  on  their  way  to  a  higher 
and  more  desirable  position,  so  that  whatever 
environments  they  might  encounter  they  could  rise 
above  them  all. 

In  rationality  of  thought  we  may  exclaim  that 
spirit  is  the  real  and  everlasting  and  that  the 
material  is  ephemeral,  existing  for  a  brief  time 
only. 

The  stately  figure,  the  brilliant  eye,  the  tinted 
check,  the  lips  of  ruby  are  all  but  passing  charms 
which  tomorrow  may  be  faded  and  in  a  week's 
time  that  form,  so  much  admired,  may  be  pros- 
trated and  those  sparkling  eyes  be  dimmed,  the 
cheeks  of  pink  become  like   faded   leaves,   with 


42  TIIF^    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

but  few  traces  of  beauty  left;  but  the  exalted 
spirit,  the  gifted  mind,  is  the  immortal  part  and 
will  increase  in  beauty.  The  illumined  soul  will 
speak  through  every  feature  and  will  lift  the 
thoughts  of  loved  ones  from  the  source  of  passing 
pleasures  to  the  ever-abiding  joys  which  have 
their  hold  upon  the  now  and  will  shed  their 
never-ending  blessings  through  eons  of  time  to 
come. 

Ever  redolent  with  beauty,  ever  charming  be- 
yond expression,  is  the  cultured  spirit  lent  by 
God  to  the  child  of  earth  for  its  protection,  for 
its  acquired  experiences  to  fit  it  for  riper  years, 
when  by  the  grace  of  God  and  through  the  power 
of  Christ  it  is  lifted  higher  to  meet  and  mingle 
with  the  numbers  who  chose  the  better  way  and 
followed  His  precepts  and  example  to  prepare  the 
path  for  all  who  make  the  choice  to  live  as  did 
this  Son  of  God,  in  loving  all  and  in  being  merci- 
ful and  just. 


TIME   AND   ITS   WONDERS 

^1  HE  ages  continue  their  onward  course  and 
1/      Divinity  ruleth  all  with  new  and  startling 

effects,    including    science    and    art,    music    and 

ethics,  religion  and  politics. 


(H 


TIME   AND    ITS    WONDERS  43 

Discoveries  that  are  being  made  and  are  con- 
sidered new  are  perhaps  as  old  as  the  world's 
earliest  stage,  yet  revealed,  until  man  was  ready- 
to  accept  and  utilize  the  wonders  stored  away  and 
sleeping  in  obscurity ;  until  a  mind  was  prepared 
to  be  impressed  with  some  utility  arising  from 
the  mystic  element  or  force,  the  recognition  of 
which  may  have  seemed  a  mere  coincidence  that 
something  new  and  strange  had  met  his  con- 
sciousness, which  at  first  had  no  special  worth, 
but  the  circumstance  aroused  the  latent  energy 
of  thought  to  study,  to  examine  and  compare. 

Such  work  goes  on  everywhere  and  under  all 
conditions,  though  obscure,  some  fresh  revelation 
comes ;  some  new  thought  develops ;  then  some 
experiments  and  application  is  made  of  this  new 
principle  or  power,  and  the  jubilant  discoverer 
journeys  on  in  his  explorations  until  he  unwit- 
tingly brings  to  view  some  other  phase  which 
adds  to  the  importance  of  his  discovery,  exhibit- 
ing the  elements  of  greater  worth,  until  at  length 
he  yields  to  the  last  or  later  plan,  and  quite  dis- 
cards the  first  conclusions.  Then  beneath  all 
this  a  greater  truth  was  hidden  and  some  other 
use  brought  to  sight,  and  still  another,  and  so  the 
wheel  of  time  brings  forth  the  new,  or  the  deeper 
strata,  until  the  last  phenomenon  seems  to  be  the 
culmination,  that  the  very  best  had  been  pre- 
sented; but  before  this  great  genius  lies  down 
to  the  sleep  of  mortal  death  the  world  is  all  astir 


44  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    I.IFK    TIMK 

about  some  other  great  discoverer  and  what  won- 
drous  benefits  will  come  from  what  he,  the  last, 
has  seen  and  done  for  the  help  of  the  human  race. 
And  now  the  acme  is  achieved ;  we  see  no  need 
of  more ;  another  surprise  would  be  a  burden. 
What  more,  indeed,  could  we  desire? 

So,  on  and  on  through  time  without  end,  will 
science  be  called  upon  to  explain  how  these  great 
wonders  ever  come.  In  consternation  wise  ones 
pore  over  the  wonderful  results  of  this  the  last 
and  the  greatest  manifestation  of  the  marvelous, 
much  beyond  any  human  expectation. 

The  doubtful  ones  declare  that  man  has 
stepped  beyond  his  rightful  claim  and  he  is  surely 
tampering  with  the  mysteries  of  Providence, 
which  is  a  feat  too  daring  for  mortals  to  attempt ; 
they  shake  their  heads  and  turn  away  as  though 
the  graves  were  yawning  to  accept  such  bold, 
unscrupulous  explorers;  but  before  their  nerves 
are  stilled,  out  bursts  another  circumstance  that 
shocks  the  world  as  something  more  astound- 
ing and  more  uncanny  than  anything  before  pro- 
nounced, or  ever  found  on  record  in  modern  his- 
-  tory.  ^  ' 

Another  class  of  minds  become  aroused  to 
think,  and  many  who  seldom  use  their  brains  may 
declaim  in  voices  loud  that  evil  is  at  hand ;  that 
demons  are  at  work  where  angels  fear  to  tread, 
as   this   new  scheme   is   surely   stolen   from   the 


TIME    AND    ITS    WONDERS  45 

grasp  of  God  to  be  used  for  some  nefarious  pur- 
pose to  the  ruin  of  the  race. 

Benjamin  FrankHn  drew  the  lightning  from  the 
clouds  by  his  simple  kite — an  incident  for  which 
the  world's  universal  thanks  now  set  apart  a  day 
to  celebrate  his  advent  to  this  world  two  hundred 
years  ago ;  but  Morse  made  application  of  this 
bridled  force  and  lo !  persons  were  enabled  to  hold 
communion  with  their  friends  by  a  simple  wire 
upon  which  the  harnessed  current  passed,  and 
nations  exchanged  ideas  and  kept  informed  of 
their  well-being  or  distress. 

When  this  great  problem  was  being  settled  and 
wires  were  stretched  above  our  heads  and  buried 
in  the  ocean's  bed,  the  populace  settled  down,  the 
climax  had  been  achieved  and  friends  were  greet- 
ing friends  across  the  seas  and  learning  of  each 
other's  health  and  wishing  each  other  prosperity 
and  peace.  Then  comes  the  startling  news  that 
Marconi  had  excelled,  and  through  his  late  dis- 
covery had  conversed  with  distant  friends  with- 
out a  wire  to  carry  the  message. 

Again  wise  ones  shook  their  heads  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders  and  declared  there  must 
be  some  mistake;  that  some  deceit  was  being 
foisted  upon  the  public  to  execute  wonder  and 
alarm,  for  surely  conversation  could  not  pass 
through  the  air  without  interruption,  to  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  miles  or  more,  as  was  boldly  stated 
to  be  a  fact.    The  incredulous,  however,  could  not 


46  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

be  convinced  that  sentences  could  ride  upon  the 
atmosphere  as  certain  as  when  carried  on  the 
wire,  but  before  that  genius  Marconi  let  loose 
the  mental  strain  he  convinced  the  world  that 
his  predictions  had  culminated  in  a  verity. 

The  world  has  been  convinced  and  the  genius 
of  the  discoverer  is  echoed  throughout  all  the 
nations,  and  his  system  of  wireless  telegraphy 
is  established  everywhere.  Now  distant  friends 
may  speak  and  important  affairs  are  being  dis- 
cussed regardless  of  time  or  space,  and  nations 
now  shake  hands  with  nations  without  a  touch  of 
palms. 

Who  would  have  granted  credit  fifty  years  ago 
to  the  problem  of  neighbor's  talking  through  the 
telephone?  That  Aladame  could,  wihle  sitting  in 
her  easy  chair  at  home,  call  upon  the  baker, 
butcher,  banker  and  grocer  and  have  all  manner 
of  orders  filled;  that  visiting  could  be  conducted 
through  the  telephone  and  not  a  sentence  lost 
or  interrupted ;  that  marriage  vows  could  be 
exchanged  and  courtship  carried  on  in  secrecy, 
whether  the  distance  be  five  or  five  hundred  miles 
away? 

These  are  marvelous  manifestations  of  discov- 
ery and  inventions — the  applications  of  nature's 
laws  once  beyond  conception,  but  lying  in 
embryo  awaiting  the  touch  of  intellect  to  bring 
them  into  execution,  and  no  doubt  even  greater 


TIME    AND   ITS    WONDERS  47 

and  more  marvelous  wonders  are  in  store  await- 
ing the  magic  touch  to  bring  them  into  recogni- 
tion. 


POSITIVE    AND    NEGATIVE    FORCES 

Jrt  OSES  bloom  in  the  midst  of  thorns.  Bram- 
7mX  bles  and  flowers  grow  together.  So  life  is 
interspersed  with  joy  and  sorrow;  the  latter 
supports  the  former  and  accentuates  the  pleas- 
ures. 

The  law  of  attraction  and  repulsion  is  every- 
where at  work.  In  human  nature  it  is  the  same 
as  in  the  pebble  and  the  rock,  in  the  ocean  and 
the  dewdrop. 

However  gross  the  substance  or  how  ethereal 
it  may  be,  the  coming  together  and  the  parting 
becomes  a  verity,  and  through  this  ever-pervad- 
ing law  comes  growth  and  development.  With- 
out these  active  forces  continually  at  play,  stag- 
nation would  result  and  general  decay. 

Life  is  sustained  through  the  process  of  com- 
ing and  going  in  the  human  system  as  in  the 
flowers  and  the  rocks.  This  action  keeps  up  repairs 
and  aids  in  all  construction.  A  sameness  of  ele-. 
ments  stultifies,  stagnates  and  becomes  a  source 
of  disease  from  which  the  body  yields  to  death, 
whether  tree  or  shrub,  whether  animal  or  man. 


48  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

When  these  forces  blend  and  are  equal  in  their 
operation,  health  is  the  result.  Life  is  prolonged, 
if  not  indefinitely,  to  a  greater  length  than  when 
a  disproportion  of  dead  elemental  substance  min- 
gles with  the  living  cells,  causing  them  to  perish 
and  decay. 

The  body  entire  must  undergo  a  transforma- 
tion whether  that  form  is  mineral,  vegetable, 
animal  or  human.  This  is  one  of  the  simplest 
laws  of  nature,  the  most  prevailing  course  pur- 
sued, exemplified  in  the  niovement  of  the  blood 
in  the  animal  economy,  and  the  capillary  action 
of  the  fluids  in  plants;  hence,  good  soil  is  neces- 
sary holding  such  elements  as  the  plant  requires, 
and  if  these  properties  are  not  incorporated  in 
the  earth  the  plant  will  fail  to  grow,  but  will 
wither  and  die,  there  not  being  enough  material 
to  take  the  place  of  what  is  thrown  off. 

No  growth  can  follow  with  all  the  care  of  prun- 
ing and  support ;  the  plant  will  perish  for  want  of 
nourishment.  And  so  it  is  with  all  living  things 
and  all  inanimate  productions. 

In  the  human  family  the  facts  are  more  appar- 
ent because  more  interest  is  felt  in  what  concerns 
one's  self,  yet  even  here  in  the  midst  of  all  the 
apparent  intelligence  but  very  little  thought  is 
bestowed  upon  the  why,  the  cause  of,  and  the 
remedy  for  failing  health. 

If  man  could  keep  the  balance  perfect  on  the 
elemental  plane,  there  would  be  but  little  suffer- 


POSITIVE   AND    NEGATIVE    FORCES  49 

ing,  save  from  accident  or  over  strain  of  organs 
and  tissues  making  up  the  physical  domain,  and 
when  such  circumstances  do  occur  they  interfere 
with  the  whole  mechanism  by  disturbing  the 
equilibrium  of  the  forces,  producing  a  constitu- 
tional irregularity ;  hence  disease  for  want  of 
proper  elimination  and  supply. 

Morbid,  waste  material  collects  at  the  most 
attractive  parts  causing  abnormal  growths, 
tumors  and  enlargement  of  some  organs.  De- 
posits that  should  not  remain  are  developed  into 
hardened  masses  about  the  joints  or  in  the  struc- 
tures of  the  more  vital  parts,  organizing  into 
tumors  or  other  false  structures. 

The  lungs,  liver,  kidneys  or  other  smaller  but 
important  organs  or  tissues  lose  their  power  to 
perform  their  stated  duties  in  the  economy  of  life, 
and  when  these  functions  fail,  the  constructive 
operations  are  forced  to  wait  until  the  obstruc- 
tions are  removed. 

The  human,  or  animal  elementary  traffic  is  de- 
terred from  taking  its  usual  course  and  the  dis- 
ability is  realized  through  the  means  of  pain  or 
prostration,  for  the  want  of  an  ingress  of  restora- 
tive substance  to  balance  the  waste  material.  The 
equilibrium  being  disturbed,  there  is  disease. 
Here  is  where  humanity  might  maintain  health 
and  strength  if  these  facts  and  principles  were  as 
well  understood   in  reference  to  human  culture 


50  THE    LOGIC    or    A    LIKK    11  MIC 

and  protection,  as  in  the  work  of  horticulture,  or 
the  production  of  grain. 

The  blessings  of  health  are  so  paramount  to 
all  other  considerations,  that  no  time  or  expense 
should  be  deemed  a  sacrifice  to  acquire  the  knowl- 
edge and  means  for  its  preservation  or  restora- 
tion. 

\Miile  the  spirit  dwells  in  the  body  the  tene- 
ment should  be  equal  to  the  requirements  of  the 
tenant,  or  the  object  of  life  is  frustrated.  For  the 
unfolding  entity  to  dwell  in  a  defective  casement 
unfit  for  its  expansion  is  to  cause  a  cramping, 
depressing  effect ;  crippled  in  its  aspirations  and 
thwarted  in  its  attainments,  it  is  disqualified  by 
its  environments  to  reach  out  in  the  various  direc- 
tions it  otherwise  could  do. 

The  spirit,  the  sentient,  intelligent  factor  in  the 
make-up  of  man,  the  light  and  life  of  his  being, 
is  checked,  restrained,  and  in  an  ethical  sense  is 
unlawfully  subdued  and  robbed  of  its  just  claim, 
because  the  body  fails  to  afiford  it  the  opportunity 
for  the  various  benefits  designed  to  enhance  spirit 
growth.  Not  a  growth  in  stature,  width  nor 
weight,  but  in  wisdom,  love,  mercy  and  forgive- 
ness of  others  who  from  similar  causes  have 
turned  away  from  the  righteous  course  designed 
for  the  soul's  great  destiny. 

The  spirit,  the  knowing  part,  the  soul  of  man, 
to  be  forced  to  dwell  in  such  a  cramped,  unfit 
position,  might  be  compared  to  the  mortal  suf- 


POSITIVE   AND    NEGATIVE    FORCES 


51 


fering  from  a  cramped  position  of  the  body  or  of 
any  part  being  tightly  bound  as  by  a  too  closely 
fitting  garment,  or  to  dwell  in  a  shelter  where 
there  is  not  room  to  extend  the  arms  or  to  stand 
erect. 

The  soul  rebels  against  such  unwarranted  re- 
strictions, against  such  a  narrow  life,  and  like  the 
butterfly  in  a  glass  jar,  it  struggles  to  be  free. 
Like  the  germ  in  the  seed  of  an  apple,  it  silently 
waits  for  conditions  that  it  may  break  forth  into 
fruit. 

The  soul  of  man  does  battle  for  its  rights  and 
liberty  that  are  justly  its  own,  and  through  the 
unhealthy  conditions  with  which  it  so  often  must 
contend  the  mortal  gives  way  and  the  living, 
knowing  self  leaps  into  eternity  where  freedom  is 
acquired. 

Many  times  this  unrest,  this  painful  state  of 
man  prompts  acts  of  self-destruction,  thus  rup- 
turing the  ties  between  itself  and  the  mortal  part 
in  order  to  be  free. 

The  spirit  does  not  thus  dictate;  it  is  the 
mortal  mind — that  part  that  is  conscious  of  the 
pain,  the  torture  through  disturbed  conditions, 
the  suffering  day  and  night.  The  slavery  of  dis- 
ease so  blunts  the  understanding  that  impulse 
prompts  the  act  to  bring  relief,  even  at  the  sacri- 
fice of  giving  up  the  case  of  flesh. 

To  impress  the  minds  of  mortals  with  the  im- 
portance of  this  life  and  how  to  shield  the  body, 


52  Tin-:  logic  of  a  life  time 

how  to  preserve  harmony  and  physical  peace,  or 
health,  is  a  merciful  pursuit  and  yields  a  reward 
of  better  living,  better  morals  and  a  higher  appre- 
ciation of  the  great  Author's  work  for  the  proper 
fitness  of  the  soul  to  enter  spirit  life  and  rise  to 
higher  realms  perfected  through  experience  that 
life  on  earth  alone  can  give. 


® 


BEAUTY    UNADORNED 

^1  HE  work  of  the  world  should  not  consist 
1/  alone  of  labor  performed  for  the  comfort 
and  maintenance  of  earth  life.  The  soul  or  spirit 
demands  attention  for  its  beauty  and  unfoldment 
through  action  and  thought. 

The  one-sided  experience  of  the  ambitious 
commercialist  knows  but  little  of  life  in  its  true 
sense.  To  gain  earthly  possessions  and  to  in- 
crease moneyed  wealth,  to  enlarge  and  embellish 
earth's  habitation  or  self-decoration,  is  not  the 
most  important  pursuit  for  man's  actual  wealth, 
and  it  fails  to  develop  much  of  life's  worth  in  its 
true  sense. 

A  tree  may  be  carefully  reared,  the  limbs  may 
be  artistically  trained,  the  fastenings  be  of  bright 
colored  ribbons,  and  jewels  be  inserted   in  the 


BEAUTY    UNADORNED  53 

Stalk  and  the  branches;  the  earth  about  its  root 
might  be  artistically  traced,  even  to  the  injury 
of  the  outspreading-  rootlets  to  make  the  situa- 
tion more  attractive,  to  win  the  praise  of  behold- 
ers ;  limbs  and  branches  be  adorned  by  garlands 
of  flowers  and  the  trunk  swathed  with  fine  tap- 
estry from  root  to  summit ;  artificial  flowers  and 
bright  colored  feathers  might  add  to  the  gorgeous 
array ;  but  the  value  of  the  tree,  wondrous  as  it 
may  be,  does  not  depend  upon  this  outside  deco- 
ration, which  alone  appeals  to  the  sense  of  sight. 
It  is  the  texture  of  the  wood  or  the  excellency  of 
its  fruit  that  gives  the  tree  its  actual  worth. 

It  is  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  product 
that  gives  special  value  to  the  apple,  orange  and 
peach.  Such  decoration  would  not  enhance  the 
perfection  of  the  tree  nor  give  to  the  fruit  a  more 
delicious  flavor;  on  the  contrary,  the  effect  would 
be  to  retard  the  normal  functions  by  the  diver- 
sion of  the  life  forces  to  the  support  of  drapings 
and  jewels.  So  with  the  customs,  styles  and 
modes  of  our  civilized  nations. 

There  is  much  time,  means  and  thought  de- 
voted to  the  external,  to  the  appearance,  and  to 
the  environments  of  the  mortal,  the  perishable 
part,  which  results  in  depression  and  disappoint- 
ment, retarding  the  spirit's  growth. 

The  immortal  soul  is  the  true  self,  and  may  be 
compared  to  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  and  when  this 
has  the  proper  attention  the  beauty,  grace  and 


54  THE    LOGIC   Op-   A    LIFE   TIME 

loveliness  can   never  be  excelled  by  any  of  the 
adornments  that  art  can  devise. 

The  culture  of  art  by  the  individual  brings 
growth  and  symmetry  of  soul,  but  art  applied 
externally  to  beautify  and  make  attractive  has 
the  opposite  effect. 

The  beauty  and  attractiveness  of  a  little  child  is 
not  enhanced  by  any  external  adornings.  Rib- 
bons, laces  and  richly  embroidered  clothes  add 
nothing  to  its  worth,  but  they,  by  comparison, 
detract  from  the  natural  beauty  and  sweetness 
so  much  admired  in  infantile  life.  Such  ornamen- 
tation as  is  often  selected  to  add  loveliness  to 
children  would  be  far  better  fitted  to  embellish 
an  inanimate  doll  or  some  cold,  lifeless  object 
upon  which  such  an  outlay  might  serve  to  render 
it  attractive  and  to  imitate,  or  rather  to  suggest 
the  real  beauty  of  life,  whose  soul  beauty  is 
wanting. 

The  round,  tapering  limbs,  the  dimpled  shoul- 
der and  knee,  the  smooth,  pink  skin,  the  little  pul- 
sating hand  with  outspreading  fingers,  and  the 
expressive  eyes  present  beauty  and  attractions  of 
the  child  that  would  put  to  shame  the  most  elab- 
orate and  costly  superficial  adornings — and  so 
with  woman. 

No  outward  embellishments  can  improve  the 
natural  woman,  with  health  beaming  in  every 
feature,  a  clear,  natural  complexion  untoned  by 
any  artificial  agent;    with  erect,  well-built  body 


BEAUTY    UNADORNED  55 

outlined  by  the  natural  curves  ;  with  waist  and 
bust  developed,  hips  and  back  strong  and  free 
from  pressure,  and  all  the  muscles  unrestrained 
in  function. 

Woman  stands  as  upon  a  pedestal,  a  model  of 
art  by  nature  cast,  not  to  be  excelled  by  the  most 
classic  sculptor.  No  skilled  artist  could  portray 
in  colors  the  picture  of  woman  more  beautiful 
and  more  attractive  than  nature  yields. 

The  countenance  beaming  with  kindness ; 
laughing  eyes  undimmed  by  pain  or  overlit  by 
artificial  stimulants,  the  genial  soul  of  woman 
plays  its  part  in  creating  comely  looks  and  grace- 
ful movements.  The  angel  that  dwells  within 
peers  through  her  features  and  molds  her  form 
corresponding  with  the  freedom  it  can  have,  and 
beauty  unadorned  is  the  prize  secured. 

Free  from  sickness,  pain  or  pallor,  the  genial 
smile  would  speak  in  tones  unmistakable  of  the 
kindness  of  her  heart  and  the  true  welcome  she 
could  extend  to  kindred  or  to  friends;  and  to 
strangers  there  would  beam  a  gladness  that  is 
but  a  forced  expression  where  the  burden  of  dis- 
ease or  fashion  paralyzes  the  body  and  at  the 
same  time  subjects  the  soul  to  an  inferior  expres- 
sion through  both  countenance  and  words. 

Beauty  felt,  as  well  as  seen,  is  more  enchant- 
ing than  outward  appearances,  and  such  beauty 
does  not  fade  nor  diminish  with  age,  nor  lessen 
in  power  as  youth  yields  to  the  sway  of  riper 


56  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

years,  but  increases  and  strengthens  in  its  force 
through  life's  experiences. 

The  more  thoughtful  class  whose  minds  are 
susceptible  to  a  rational  poise,  who  look  through 
the  artificial  and  recognize  the  real,  seldom  see 
the  superficial,  it  being  of  too  little  importance 
to  attract  attention ;  while  knowledge  of  spirit 
growth  dictates  a  different  view  by  which  to 
approach  the  absolute  indwelling  entity. 

No  outward  ornaments  can  improve  what 
nature  has  made  perfect,  and  to  which  garments 
should  conform  to  the  individual  figure  for  com- 
fort and  protection,  irrespective  of  the  opinions 
or  dictations  from  the  superficial,  thoughtless 
class,  or  fashions  umpire  of  parisian  art  as  a  la 
mode. 

Each  figure  might  assume  the  style  best  suited 
to  the  form,  independent  of  public  opinion  or  the 
fashion  of  the  times,  and  more  beauty  would  be 
displayed,  more  grace  declared  by  the  connois- 
seurs of  dress  than  all  the  expensive,  glittering 
jewels  or  gay  attire  that  the  changing  fashions 
might  suggest. 

The  untutored  Indian  in  common  with  other 
races  who  make  their  abode  in  nature's  wild  do- 
main, take  much  delight  in  beads  and  paint,  in 
feathers  and  ornaments  to  bedeck  their  persons. 
To  exhibit  their  treasures  they  pierce  their  ears 
and  nose  and  there  insert  their  baubles.  With 
tinkling  bells  on  wrists  and  ankles  and  even  on 


BEAUTY    UNADORNED  57 

their  toes,  they  make  themselves  conspicuous 
through  their  painted  faces  and  Hmbs  tattooed, 
with  blankets  of  bright  colors  to  envelop  them, 
to  satisfy  their  wild  untutored  taste ;  but  as  intel- 
ligence and  reason  come  to  their  aid  these  exter- 
nal equipments  gradually  fall  away,  giving  place 
to  a  higher  reach  of  thought.  They  modify  and 
reduce  the  gaudy  aspect  of  their  adornings  and 
discard  one  by  one  the  ornaments  of  earlier  days 
and  gradually  conform  to  what  we  call  civiliza- 
tion and  prepare  to  meet  with  cultured  men  and 
women,  whose  habits  and  customs  really  differ 
but  little  from  their  old  accustomed  ways,  whose 
opportunities  have  been  much  extended,  whose 
minds  have  grappled  with  the  mysteries  of  evolu- 
tion and  many  phases  of  higher  thought,  but  who 
still  adhere  to  many  of  the  early  customs  of 
applying  color  to  their  cheeks  and  brows,  to  the 
use  of  wings  and  heads  of  birds  to  decorate  them- 
selves, but  who  in  time,  in  common  with  the  early 
tribes  will  develop  in  their  taste  and  judgment 
and  will  see  beauty  in  natural  gifts  that  can 
never  be  excelled  by  art  or  substitution,  particu- 
larly when  the  attempt  to  improve  continually 
ends  in  a  defeat  and  they  become  convinced  that 
beauty  adorned  proves  to  be  much  less  attractive 
than  nature  in  her  freedom  and  simplicity. 


THOUGHTS    UPON    LAW 

-Jrt  ROKEN  laws  are  stumbling  blocks  and  bar- 
tP  riers  to  property  and  health.  The  "straight 
and  narrow"  way  is  the  only  path  that  leads  to 
glory  and  success. 

Obedience  to  the  legal  statutes  of  the  State  or 
city  gives  precedence  and  lends  character  and 
confiding  trust,  and  in  a  greater  degree  do  we 
harmonize  with  the  higher  souls  in  spirit  life  and 
with  Deity. 

The  trees  must  grow  and  flourish  under  the  law 
governing  vegetation.  Soil  moisture  and  sun- 
light are  required  for  the  ascent  of  nutrition  to 
stalk  and  branch,  and  much  more  amenable  are 
we  to  the  laws  that  govern  the  physical  as  well 
as  the  immortal  part,  for  health  and  the  exalta- 
tion that  may  be  gained  through  obedience  to  the 
laws  governing  both. 

Law  governs  everything,  the  ant  and  worm 
as  well  as  the  more  pretentious  species.  The 
earlier  developments  were  doubtless  gifted  with 
natural  instinct  as  to  abiding  place  and  source  of 
nourishment.  The  earth  with  its  dark  and  hid- 
den recesses  is  a  resort  for  many  insects  and 
creeping  things. 

The  moisture  of  the  soil  and  the  grade  of 
atmosphere  are  fitted  to  their  existence  and  there 
from  choice  they  would  remain  as  being  in  their 


THOUGHTS    UPON    LAW  59 

natural  element.  If  they  are  brought  out  by  the 
turning  of  the  soil  in  cultivation  or  from  exca- 
vation, it  is  in  natural  obedience  to  law  for  them 
to  turn  in  such  direction  as  to  be  made  secure 
again  in  their  dark  and  damp  abodes. 

It  is  as  natural  for  these  living  things  to  seek 
a  silent  dark  retreat  as  for  the  flower  to  rise  upon 
its  stalk  and  face  the  sun.  Each  species  has  its 
like  dependency  upon  the  unwritten  but  impera- 
tive decree  that  governs  it,  and  these  laws  must 
be  obeyed  or  destruction  will  be  the  result. 

Laws  may  be  modified  as  organizations  change, 
and  all  things  are  liable  to  mutation,  according  to 
environment  and  culture  or  through  a  process  of 
training.  x\ll  things  in  every  kingdom  are  sub- 
ject to  change  and  improvement.  The  law  here 
in  the  lower  sphere  is  as  potent  and  untiring  as 
in  the  higher  realms,  and  any  abrupt  diversion 
from   the   existing  plan   would  prove  disastrous. 

Conditions  must  be  gradually  changed  through 
a  combination  of  circumstances  leading  to  a 
necessity  of  modification. 

In  order  to  harmonize,  conditions  and  law  must 
develop  coeval  with  each  other.  By  this  we  see 
that  as  time  progresses  and  decided  changes  come 
law  unfolds  something  like  the  leaves  of  plants 
once  hidden  and  unsuspected,  but  as  conditions 
favor,  new  leaves  are  brought  into  action  to  suit 
the  individual  circumstance. 


60  THE   LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

For  instance,  the  chick  and  child  are  subject  to 
a  code  of  laws  that  are  imperative  during  incuba- 
tion or  development. 

These  laws  are  suited  to  their  environment 
while  yet  in  embryo,  but  later,  when  they  have 
outgrown  such  restrictions  as  their  very  early 
growth  required,  and  are  ready  to  come  forth  as 
independent  lives,  the  law  advances  to  another 
degree,  or  a  law  is  developed  corresponding  with 
the  necessity. 

The  rule  holds  good  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion and  no  doubt  will  thus  continue  through  all 
time. 

The  statutory  laws  that  were  formulated 
eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  or  even  one  century 
would  not  be  appropriate  at  the  present  time  as 
the  country  has  dianged  and  the  conditions  are 
so  different  the  legal  statutes  must  correspond, 
and  so  must  the  mode  of  living,  or  discord  would 
develop  and  disease  increase  v»'here  peace  might 
rule  and  normal  health  obtain.  As  persons  ad- 
vance in  thought,  they  must  have  room  to  act. 

In  earlier  times  the  whipping  post,  the  guillo- 
tine, burning  at  the  stake  and  other  barbarous 
modes  of  punishment  were  considered  as  just 
rebuke  for  violations  of  the  laws  prescribed.  The 
seers,  fortune-tellers  and  persons  who  presumed 
to  be  in  communication  with  the  spirits  of  earth's 
departed  ones   were   in   early  times   tortured  to 


THOUGHTS    UPON    LAW  61 

death  to  avenge  their  disobedience  to  man-made 
laws. 

Death  was  a  certain  penalty  for  such  as  dared 
to  move  outside  the  statutory  restrictions  of  their 
day.  As  civilization  progressed  and  more  intel- 
ligence developed,  the  laws  became  more  toler- 
ant and  the  hideous  tortures  and  inhuman  cus- 
toms have  been  relegated  to  the  past  and  are  now 
looked  upon  as  barbarous  and  unfit  means  of 
reformation  where  Christianity  prevails. 

So  laws,  rules  and  customs  do,  and  must 
change  to  meet  the  advancement  of  a  progressive 
race.  In  Christendom  mankind  can  not  be  co- 
erced, punished  and  condemned  to  death  for  free- 
dom of  expression,  and  "as  man  thinks  so  is  he." 
His  thought  expressed  is  an  earnest  (?)  of  his 
coming  acts,  and  laws  must  be  developed  corre- 
sponding to  his  liberal  march  of  mind,  or  rebel- 
lion and  bloodshed  would  force  a  change  upon 
the  statutes  of  our  nation  in  keeping  with  more 
modern  ideas. 

We  can  not  expect  to  crush  out  the  growing 
needs  of  ambitious,  broad-minded  men  and 
women.  Liberty  is  what  the  nations  want  and 
liberty  they  will  have.  Equal  education  devel- 
ops equality  of  desire  and  action.  It  was  once 
considered  a  daring  feat  to  speak  the  truth,  but 
as  the  mind  develops  the  general  masses  will  con- 
cede that  what  once  was  ignored  as  wrong,  as 
evil,  will  be  better  understood  and  eventually  in 


62  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

many  instances  will  be  considered  right,  and 
when  truth  is  acknowledged  and  can  be  acted  as 
well  as  thought,  the  results  will  prove  that  free- 
dom comes  from  the  living  of  the  truth. 

Through  the  rapid  progress  the  world  is  mak- 
ing, new  thoughts  will  come  to  mind  which 
might  be  unwise  to  utter.  The  truth  can  not 
always  be  accepted  when  first  proclaimed.  It 
requires  more  time  for  some  than  others  to  anal- 
yze and  ponder  over  new  ideas  before  the  truth 
is  made  apparent ;  so  silence,  under  such  condi- 
tions, is  the  better  part  of  valor.  The  minds  of 
many  persons  are  like  stunted  vegetation — more 
time  is  required  to  arouse  them  to  healthy  action. 

To  scatter  seeds  of  some  great  reform  on 
ground  that  is  unprepared  would  be  a  waste  of 
time  and  would  indicate  but  little  wisdom ; 
neither  can  we  afiford  to  practice  or  to  preach 
what  is  much  in  advance  of  the  popular  mind, 
but  little  by  little  the  truth  must  come,  as  the 
fovmdation  is  prepared  to  receive  it. 

The  revolutions  of  time  will  be  fraught  with 
great  revelations  of  opinions,  with  rules  and  laws 
for  the  regulation  of  the  people.  Every  new 
thought  audibly  expressed  or  written  is  worthy 
of  due  respect  and  honest  consideration,  for  we 
today  may  deny  and  despise  what  in  the  future 
we  may  favor  and  perhaps  embrace  as  being  cor- 
rect. There  is  no  stability,  no  fixedness,  of  mind 
or  matter. 


THOUGHTS    UPON    LAW  63 

The  laws  of  God  are  doubtless  as  progressive 
as  time  itself,  and  each  generation  has  its  rules 
for  life  ;  its  laws  are  supposed  to  be  established, 
perhaps  for  all  time,  but  some  of  earth's  present 
inhabitants  may  live  to  see  such  laws  repealed  as 
absurd  or  useless,  and  what  at  one  time  had  been 
denounced  as  wrong  may  be  willingly  accepted 
and  approved  by  the  majority  as  best  fitted  for 
a  progressive  and  enlightened  people. 


AN    APPEAL   FOR   WOMAN 

AAA'AKE  and  arise,  ye  daughters  of  men ;  the 
time  has  come  when  woman  must  gird  her 
loins  and  sandal  her  feet ;  must  unfurl  her  banner 
and  prepare  for  a  warfare  against  the  injustice 
and  oppression  that  is  levelled  upon  her  by  the 
strong  hand  of  political  power.  Too  long  has 
she  borne  the  weight  and  struggled  beneath  the 
dominion  of  power  based  upon  physical  strength 
and  the  vain  ambition  of  man. 

The  time  is  ripe  for  her  deliverance,  and  she 
owes  the  debt  to  her  sex  and  to  the  present  and 
coming  generations  of  both  women  and  men. 

Every  child  should  be  born  into  freedom,  with 
no    taint    of   despotism    to    soil    its    blood    or    to 


64  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

weaken  its  brain.  Every  mother  should  be  a 
free  woman,  to  think  and  to  act  as  an  equal  part- 
ner of  man.  Political  oppression  and  selfish 
ambition  result  in  general  depression,  as  every 
civilized  nation  evinces,  and  will  be  emphasized 
as  time  rolls  on,  if  a  great  reformation  is  not 
instituted  whereby  justice  may  hold  her  rightfu! 
sway  not  only  with  man  but  also  with  woman. 

Intellect  and  intuition  are  essential  factors  in 
the  great  governmental  scheme,  and  when  one- 
half  of  the  citizens  are  ostracized,  are  hushed  in 
their  claim  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  laws  and 
ordinances  by  which  they  are  ruled  and  to 
which  they  are  amenable  as  peace  loving, 
law-abiding  citizens,  the  injustice  should  be 
recognized  and  speedily  overcome,  or  the  walls 
of  man's  selfish  building  constructed  to  suit  his 
personal  ideas  will  crack  and  crumble,  bringing 
chaos  and  ruin  to  the  entire  human  family. 

While  one-half  of  the  population  is  politically 
subject  to  the  other,  right  can  not  prevail,  for  the 
foundation  is  evil. 

The  superstructure  is  built  upon  the  moving 
sands  of  selfish  pride,  injustice  and  contempt, 
which  in  time  will  change  when  woman  helps  to 
steer  the  ship  of  state  and  rightfully  adds  her 
share  of  honest  thought,  her  moral  strength  and 
the  light  of  her  keen  perception. 

Not  until  this  necessary  aid  is  joined  to  the 
present   masculine   power   w^ill   better   conditions 


AN    APPEAL    FOR   WOMAN  65 

prevail  in  this  or  in  other  nations.  Woman,  the 
helpmeet  for  man,  is  ignored  as  a  factor  in  the 
establishment  of  laws  whereby  the  population 
must  be  governed  for  tlie  peace  and  prosperity, 
the  happiness  and  fame  of  the  country. 

It  has  not  been  the  lack  of  brain  or  mental 
power  that  has  kept  woman  down  under  the  auto- 
cratic heel  of  man  in  governmental  matters.  It 
has  not  been  her  want  of  ambition  that  has  kept 
the  chain  of  disability  clanking  at  her  feet.  It 
has  not  been  her  dull  perception  in  regard  to  her 
forced  condition  that  has  stayed  her  onward 
march  to  freedom,  but  as  the  result  of  her  great 
love  of  peace,  her  fond  affection  for  her  children, 
or  the  young  of  others,  the  household  cares,  the 
reversed  condition  of  her  thoughts  in  regard  to 
the  trusting  love  of  him  who  holds  her  as  his 
own  ;  of  men  who  all  these  centuries  past  and  to 
the  present  time  have  played  upon  her  credulity 
to  the  extent  of  almost  crushing  out  her  natural 
selfhood  and  assurance  as  to  her  rightful  place 
in  organized  society. 

The  crisis  is  at  hand,  the  portentous  time,  the 
ominous  outlook  for  the  world,  through  "man's 
inhumanity  to  man." 

The  men  whom  women  had  been  taught  were 
not  only  great  in  their  supremacy  of  powder,  but 
were  honest  in  their  dealings  with  their  fellow 
men,  have  too  often  proven  themselves  unworthy 
of  the  trust  awarded  them. 


66  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

The  selfish  greed  for  property,  the  unreHability 
of  words  and  dastard  attempts  to  appropriate  to 
tlu'ir  personal  use  the  rightful  property  of  others; 
the  financial  disturbances  that  endanger  life  as 
well  as  property,  reports  of  which  daily  swell  the 
columns  of  the  press ;  the  reckless  sacrifice  of 
life  by  the  force  of  others  or  by  self-destruction, 
should  arouse  women  to  a  comprehension  of  the 
duties  they  should  assume. 

The  terrible  example  for  the  rising  generation-, 
the  insecurity  of  home  and  family;  the  number  of 
ravished  girls  through  passion's  mad  control ;  the 
lowering  of  virtue's  rate  through  diminished 
wage  for  those  who  toil  for  bread ;  the  outcry 
from  hungry  children  and  women  left  to  perish 
and  to  die  in  crowded  tenements  unfit  for  beasts 
to  herd — all  this  and  more  should  stimulate 
women  to  positive  action,  impelled  through  the 
aspiration  of  their  yearning  hearts  to  do  some- 
thing for  the  uplifting  of  humanity,  for  the  salva- 
tion of  their  sons  and  daughters  and  for  others 
linked  with  them  through  the  common  tie  of 
human  brotherhood. 

To  be  a  woman,  a  wife  and  a  mother  means 
more  than  was  formerly  understood.  The  great 
import  of  woman  and  woman's  work  is  not  alone 
to  live  and  serve,  but  she  must  hold  fast  to  the 
unfurled  flag  of  equal  rights  for  all ;  and  she  must 
work   and   plan   for   the   welfare  of  the   race  to 


AN    APPEAL    FOR    WOMAN  67 

which  she  and  hers  belong,  and  hft  her  voice  for 
justice,  for  honesty,  for  mercy  and  for  love. 

Woman  must  know  that  her  self-sacrificing 
office  in  the  reproduction  of  her  race  must  not 
end  at  that  important  juncture,  but  strive  that 
honor,  truth  and  sincerity  be  the  watchwords  of 
the  rulers  and  guides  of  the  great  ship  of  state, 
that  the  banner  of  universal  freedom  may  float 
over  the  nation's  broad  expanse ;  that  faith  and 
trust  may  be  built  upon  sincerity ;  that  right 
shall  prevail  and  justice  be  meted  out  to  all  men 
and  to  all  women  as  equal  citizens,  as  copartners 
in  life  and  the  mutual  caretakers  of  the  family 
of  man. 


® 


THE   BLESSINGS   OF   MISFORTUNE 

HERE   comes   a   time   when   old   things   are 


1}  made  new  as  well  as  a  time  for  the  new 
to  become  old. 

Transformations  are  constantly  being  evolved 
for  the  advancement  of  the  world  and  its  inhabi- 
tants. 

The  decay  of  vegetation,  the  disintegration  of 
rocks,  the  change  in  river  beds,  the  decomposition 
of  animal   substance  as  well  as  the  fall  of  na- 


68  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

tions — all  resulting  in  a  greater  degree  of 
advancement  in  relation  to  material  things  and 
in  the  uplifting  of  the  races  by  the  exchanging 
and  mingling  of  forces  whereby  the  whole  world 
goes  through  transformations  for  its  higher  un- 
foldment. 

At  the  time  of  a  seismic  disturbance,  a  landslide 
or  a  tornado,  the  minds  of  the  people  are  shocked 
and  amazed,  terrified,  and,  many  times,  crazed 
at  the  results  of  the  phenomenon,  but  during  the 
life  of  the  same  generation  greater  improvements 
will  follow  than  had  ever  been  conceived  of  by 
the  apparently  well  satisfied  people. 

Cosmic  upheavals  change  the  earth's  surface 
and  parts  that  had  been  overwrought  and  made 
sterile  are  often  replenished  by  a  subsoil  of 
richness  never  supposed  to  exist,  and  in  the  world 
of  animal  life  a  higher  grade  will  present,  and 
even  with  the  races  of  men,  great  changes  and 
improvements  obtain. 

All  of  the  deluges  and  destruction  of  cities  and 
towns,  of  houses  and  homes  and  of  the  people, 
will  result  at  the  time  in  emotions  of  terror,  of 
suffering  and  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  the  loved  ones, 
and  of  their  belongings ;  but  time,  the  great 
solver  of  problems  and  the  great  panacea  for 
sorrow  and  woe,  will,  in  less  than  one  generation, 
prove  to  the  survivors  that  great  improvements 
have  followed  each  special  disaster  and  even  in 
the  loss  of  one's  parents  and  friends ;  in  the  death 


THE    BLESSINGS    OF    MISFORTUNE  69 

of  the  dearest  and  nearest;  in  the  destruction  of 
all  the  heart  holds  as  essential,  there  is  no  waste, 
no  real  death,  no  loss. 

The  loved  ones  are  changed  in  their  form  and 
condition,  but  identity  is  maintained  in  the  world 
of  spirit  and  all  that  are  taken  or  subject  to  the 
transition  are  living  as  real  as  their  lives  had  been 
upon  earth.  An  ascension  unexpected,  came  in 
their  experience,  a  transformation  from  the 
coarse  to  the  finer  condition,  from  the  mortal  or 
temporary  to  the  higher  phase  of  existence ;  and 
they  are  all  advanced  to  the  position  their  friends 
and  their  kindred  will  attain  at  no  very  distant 
time. 

If  such  changes  did  not  occur;  if  the  worlds 
were  all  fixed  without  possibility  of  modification 
or  apparent  destruction,  stagnation  would  be  the 
outcome.  The  earth's  surface  would  yield  all  its 
richness,  and  vegetation  would  perish  for  warn 
of  nature's  great  fertilizing  events. 

The  old  cities  and  towns  of  a  century  gone 
would  stand  like  deadwood  in  the  forest,  and  the 
people  of  earth  would  all  correspond  with  the 
fixedness  of  their  homes  and  their  houses;  but 
as  the  result  of  some  unexpected  upheaval,  the 
inhabitants  stand  a  fair  chance  for  a  different 
order  of  work  and  for  a  great  growth  in  thought 
through  a  forced  degree  of  exertion  of  both  mind 
and  body. 


70  THE   LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

The  very  brain  cells  are  chanp;-cd  in  the  strenu- 
ous effort  to  plan  and  to  improve ;  the  muscles 
take  on  a  more  active  life;  the  circulation  is 
increased  through  a  newness  of  action ;  dormant 
conditions  are  aroused  to  greater  activity,  and 
thankful  all  intelligent  creatures  should  be  that 
from  necessity,  if  n(^t  from  choice,  they  are  com- 
pelled to  arouse  from  their  lethargy  to  meet  the 
exitrencies  thev  are  forced  to  encounter.  These 
extremes  might  be  considered  as  nature's  great 
house-cleaning  times,  or  the  world's  periods  of 
repair.  These  unusual  winds,  tornadoes,  and 
these  downpours  of  rain,  these  washings  and 
drenchings,  these  transpositions  of  earth  into  the 
ocean  beds,  and  dry  land  to  be  seen  where  for 
centuries  the  ocean  waves  had  incessantly  surged, 
resulting  in  a  change  equal  to  the  development 
of  a  new  world  built  upon  the  refuse  of  the  old 
one. 

It  stands  for  the  human  mind  to  grasp  the  idea 
that  all  is  for  the  greatest  good,  whether  it  shall 
end  in  death,  which  is  but  a  birth  into  another 
and  higher  existence  and  all  this  great  modifica- 
tion, this  mutiny  of  the  elements,  the  destruction 
of  wealth  and  life  is  not  the  result  of  an  angry 
God,  neither  is  all  this  a  punishment  pro- 
nounced for  man's  dark  ways  and  deeds. 

Conditions  bring  about  sequences,  and  as  in  the 
material  world,  so  in  the  realm  of  thought.  The 
world  is  advancing  all  the  faster  and  people  de- 


THE    BLESSINGS    OF    MISFORTUNE  71 

velop  into  greater  perfection,  more  mental  un- 
foldment  and  higher  aims  in  life,  which  are 
evidences  of  a  spiritual  growth ;  and  when  great 
destruction  of  human  life  is  heralded  to  the 
world,  it  is  not  that  these  who  physically  perish 
are  doomed  to  non-entity,  but  that  they,  being 
cut  short  of  this  life,  are  the  heirs  of  a  greater 
inheritance  and  instead  of  a  future  non-existence 
their  opportunities  are  magnified  through  their 
entrance  into  another  sphere  where  every  advan- 
tage is  oiTered  for  the  advancement  into  a  life 
of  greater  certainty,  of  more  rapid  progress,  and 
with  fields  of  labor  and  of  mental  achievement 
never  to  be  received  on  earth. 

So,  on  and  on  each  spirit  goes  from  lower  to 
higher  spheres,  at  length  through  many  changes 
and  evolvements  unexpected  and  unconceived. 
The  spirit  of  the  once  mortal  man  becomes  a  per- 
manent co-worker  and  companion  of  the  highest 
and  most  loyal  souls,  mingling  at  length  with  the 
Godhead  from  whence  all  nature  had  its  origin 
and  its  unfoldment,  as  the  petals  of  the  rose  from 
the  center  to  the  surface  leaf  by  leaf  may  fall; 
but  the  central  part  is  the  generating  principle 
without  which  no  rose  could  start  and  around 
which  each  petal  holds  its  place  until  its  use  is 
spent;  then  the  petal  falls,  to  wither  and  die,  to 
rejuvenate  and  start  the  seeds  of  another  plant 
to  grow  through  the  fertilizing  influence  of  its 


72  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

composite  parts.  So  from  the  Great  Central 
Source  all  life  has  its  origin,  and  to  that  Source 
all  life  must  tend,  world  upon  world,  and  life  to 
life,  without  end. 


HARMONY   AND    EQUALITY 

^jtjtATER  the  earth  by  a  downfall  of  rain; 
US  water  the  nations  by  the  use  of  the  brain. 
The  world  needs  watering  by  the  waters  of  life, 
and  these  are  the  result  of  peace,  not  strife. 

If  harmony  of  action  could  but  prevail ;  if  one- 
ness of  thought  coul  be  maintained  during  any 
attempt  to  reform  or  to  improve  the  conditions  of 
man,  greater  progress  would  be  the  result.  But 
discordant  opinions  with  unsettled  ideas  in  re- 
gard to  the  best  mode  of  procedure  bring  things 
to  a  standstill  and  lessen  the  interest  of  all  the 
workers  concerned.  Through  a  preliminary  edu- 
cation and  a  wise  arrangement  of  parts,  the  minds 
of  the  people  become  harmonized  and  prepared  to 
proceed  with  a  work,  whether  it  is  for  the  con- 
venience of  a  man  in  a  physical  way,  or  for  the 
growth  of  the  soul. 

Concert  of  action  and  willing  obedience  to  law 
constitute  the  basis  of  strength.  With  considera- 
tion all  should  have  the  basic  plans  laid  out  and 


HARMONY    AND    EQUALITY 


IZ 


the  principles  logically  presented  upon  which  the 
work  must  stand,  and  each  one  be  consulted 
whose  interest  is  involved,  so  that  the  harmony 
of  mind  may  be  built  up  in  the  walls  of  political 
or  moral  structure  to  insure  strength  and  endur- 
ance, as  harmony  of  action  and  thought  is  a 
practical  cement  to  hold  the  segregated  parties 
in  place. 

While  adversity  accompanies  the  laying  of 
stones  if  the  plaster  is  friable  through  discordant 
elements  that  are  used  for  a  cohesive  material ; 
if  the  elements  do  not  unite  or  if  they  tend  to 
expand  when  to  contract  is  the  object  in  view, 
the  plaster  will  take  no  decided  effect,  but  will 
separate  instead  of  unite  and  condense  to  hold 
the  rocks  or  the  bricks  in  position — and  so  with 
the  work  of  the  great  political  and  social  struc- 
tures. The  contending  factors  always  at  work 
under  provoked  submission  leave  any  law  or 
regulation  in  an  unstable  condition. 

The  mental  plaster  between  the  bricks  of  ideas 
shrinks  from  its  place,  leaving  the  wall  in  a  mova- 
ble state  ready  to  yield  to  the  wind  or  to  the 
slightest  mental  earthquake,  and  the  structure 
trembles  and  falls. 

So  with  the  unfitness  of  the  material  used  in 
the  moral  and  political  mechanism  of  the  world 
of  mankind. 

The  people,  the  masses,  should  be  thoroughly 
educated   in   the   principles   of  government,   and 


74  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

each  individual  should  have  the  opportunity  to 
express  his  or  her  opinion  regarding  the  basic 
principles  upon  which  governments  are  founded. 
Then  let  the  majority  decide  upon  the  code  of 
laws  to  be  accepted. 

Such  a  regime  would  demonstrate  actual  dem- 
ocracy ;  but  if  the  few  shall  rule  while  the  many 
submit,  there  is  no  cement  to  the  organization — 
it  does  not  serve  as  a  bond  of  union.  There  may 
be,  for  a  time,  an  appearance  of  coalescence,  but 
upon  trial  and  experience  discontent  will  mani- 
fest and  a  sundering  of  forces  be  in  evidence, 
and  the  fabric  falls  to  the  destruction  of  all  the 
factors. 

The  grand  principles  of  democracy  might  be  so 
deeply  established  in  the  minds  of  the  youth  of 
both  sexes,  that  in  years  of  responsible  activity 
they  could  be  as  a  reliable  foundation  to  the 
upbuilding  of  nations  in  a  knowledge  of  and  a 
respect  for  humanity. 

When  the  developing  generations  are  made  to 
feel  the  interdependency  of  the  sexes  and  of  all 
peoples,  they  will  assume  a  very  different  atti- 
tude toward  individual  members  of  their  own 
nation,  and  a  sympathy  and  kindred  feeling  will 
extend  to  others,  and  to  work  for  the  good  of  all 
will  be  the  impetus  to  success. 

"To  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself"  would  be  a 
favorable  text  upon  which  to  build  the  necessary 
laws  and  rules  for  society,  and  when  the  world  is 


HARMONY    AND   EQUALITY 


75 


educated  to  that  point  whereby  we  recognize  that 
the  welfare  of  others  is  the  foundation  upon 
which  to  build  for  our  own  well-being,  then  a 
very  different  disposition  will  actuate  the  family 
of  man. 

\\'hen  man  can  comprehend  that  woman  has  a 
place  to  fill  by  the  side  of  himself  in  all  the  great 
questions  and  movements  of  life ;  that  her  inter- 
est is  at  stake  equally  with  his  own,  and  the  wel- 
fare of  her  household  depends  upon  justice  and 
equality  between  the  different  members ;  that 
the  daughters  must  be  similarly  educated  with 
the  sons  to  prepare  them  for  the  responsible 
position  to  which  they  legitimately  develop,  not 
only  for  the  purpose  of  their  own  commercial 
achievement  through  some  channel  of  labor  but 
for  other  and  greater  responsibilities  and  positions 
for  which  they  must  be  qualified  whereby  their 
views  and  convictions  may  be  heard  and  their  influ- 
ence felt  and  their  power  acknowledged  by  their 
ballot  judiciously  rendered  toward  the  installation  of 
the  most  suitable  persons  to  ofBce  for  the  dispensa- 
tion of  national  or  municipal  duties. 

Brothers  and  sisters  and  circles  of  friends 
should  take  more  interest  in  discoursing  upon  the 
general  welfare  of  the  people,  the  taxpayers  and 
the  local  machinery,  making  up  the  requirements 
for  justice  to  all,  that  a  more  fraternal  feeling 
might  develop  between  the  two  sexes,  that  advice 
tendered  from  sister  or  mother  may  find  welcome 


76  THE    LOGIC    OK    A    LIFE   TIME 

reception    in    the    minds    of    father    and    brother. 

The  voice  of  woman  should  be  heard  in  favor 
of  peace  and  purity  of  character.  Woman  should 
be  acknowledged,  not  only  as  a  housekeeper  and 
cook  and  as  a  protection  of  the  young  as  well  as 
the  responsible  office  of  mother,  but  at  the  same 
time  as  a  substantial  advisor  of  her  own  sex 
and  as  a  counsellor  of  man. 

Her  influence  should  be  felt  in  the  halls  of 
legislature  and  among  the  congress  of  lawmakers, 
that  her  force  of  character  may  influence  both 
sexes  and  all  ages  of  people  from  the  infant  to 
the  octogenarian,  not  only  by  her  judicial  course 
in  life,  but  by  the  logic  of  her  sentiments  and  the 
force  of  her  expression,  that  she  may  realize  the 
importance  of  her  position,  and  that  all  may 
acknowledge  her  efficiency  not  only  to  bear,  to 
rear,  educate  and  conduct  her  household,  but 
through  her  peculiar  mental  and  spiritual  quali- 
fications she  is  able  to  exert  her  moral  and  per- 
suasive influence  toward  the  elevation  of  all 
mankind,  thereby  fulfilling  her  mission  as  a  re- 
sponsible being,  a  co-worker  with  man  and  an 
important  branch  of  the  great  tree  of  life  bearing 
many  kinds  of  fruit  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 


MAN,  THE  UNSOLVED  PROBLEM 

#|ttt  ANY  are  the  ways  that  God  provides  for  the 
Z'W  salvation  of  mankind.  The  human  race, 
the  last  and  most  complex  creation,  with  natural 
advantages  above  all  other  living  things,  stands 
today  and  always  has  stood  as  the  greatest  prob- 
lem to  be  solved. 

For  ages  back,  ever  since  a  record  of  his  race 
began,  the  mysteries  of  his  compound  nature  ot 
body  and  soul,  his  susceptibility  of  angelic  good- 
ness and  his  liability  to  demoniac  evil  has  been 
a  problem  over  which  philosophers  have  pon- 
dered and  which  scientists  have  tried  to  solve. 
Some  exalted  souls  exist  who  seem  to  have  had 
their  start  in  Deity  and  others  so  depraved  as  if 
every  fibre  of  being  and  the  seat  of  thought  took 
origin  from  satanic  root,  all  of  which  has  been 
a  mystery  since  the  race  began. 

The  great  trend  of  thought  during  all  the  ages 
past  has  been  to  develop  man,  both  male  and 
female  factors,  to  a  higher  state  of  intelligence 
and  to  an  equal  plane  of  moral  integrity. 

From  the  days  of  historic  Adam  to  the  present 
time  great  intellectual  labor  has  been  spent  upon 
the  restoration  of  humanity  to  its  pristine  purity 
and  grace. 

That  the  sexes  are  essential  to  each  other  is 
unmistakable;  that  neither  is  entire  without  the 
other  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  for  the  greater  wel- 


78  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

fare  of  each  there  must  be  a  oneship  of  the  two; 
that  neither  is  a  perfect  being  when  isolated  from 
the  other  is  a  proposition  allowing  of  no  doubt. 
Then  again,  that  either  sex  is  superior  to  the 
other  need  not  be  said ;  that  one  should  physi- 
cally or  mentally  control  the  other  in  the  experi- 
ences of  life  would  be  unreasonable.  To  decide 
these  questions  one  does  not  need  to  go  back  to 
tradition,  nor  to  the  ancient  history  of  Adam 
and  Eve. 

To  trace  the  origin  of  the  twain  is  not  the 
present  plan  ;  but  in  taking  these  two  who  repre- 
sent the  parentage  of  the  world's  vast  number 
of  beings  in  human  form  has  been  a  work  of  cen- 
turies. To  bring  this  phase  of  animal  life  to 
the  present  stage  of  elevation  has  been  a  tedious 
task,  and  to  promote  man  to  the  promised  state 
to  which  our  example.  Christ,  attained,  whereby 
we  may  execute  the  injunction,  "Love  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy  strength,  with  all 
thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

Notwithstanding  the  many  promises,  the 
human  race  has  proven  to  be  a  stubborn  factor, 
most  difficult  to  control,  from  the  early  stage  of 
savagery  to  its  enlightenment  from  ignorance  to 
an  honest  claim  of  absolute  intelligence;  and 
when  his  case  has  been  considered  from  the  prim- 
ative  state  to  the  present  time,  he  proves  to  be  a 
mystery  too  dense  for  comprehension ;  and 
judging  from  the  progress  made,  ages  and  cen- 


MAN,    THE    UNSOLVED    PROBLEM  79 

turies  yet  to  come  will  not  afford  a  satisfactory 
solution  of  the  question  as  to  who  and  what  is 
man ! 

The  docile  animals  which  man  controls,  in 
many  respects  are  more  tractable  than  he  who 
claims  to  be  their  master. 

The  human  race  with  such  varied  talents,  with 
organs  adapted  to  its  wants ;  with  agile  limbs 
and  hands  superior  in  shape,  and  unsurpassed  in 
their  ability,  adapted  to  the  execution  of  any 
required  task;  and  every  part  of  the  physical 
body  fitted  to  perform  all  necessary  movements 
for  his  comfort  and  convenience,  with  unseen 
vital  parts  that  work  true  to  nature's  promptings, 
even  beyond  the  perception  or  conception  of  him- 
self. 

Thus  equipped  and  crowned  by  intellect,  by 
reason,  by  foresight  and  reflection,  man  stands 
an  embodiment  of  mighty  power  almost  unlim- 
ited for  good  or  evil ;  whose  intelligence  is  capa- 
ble of  responding  to  his  loftiest  flights  of  imagi- 
nation, having  power  to  calculate  and  plan  for 
months  and  years  in  advance;  to  construct  and 
apply  to  his  use  materials  from  all  the  known 
regions  of  the  world ;  with  faculties  and  advan- 
tages superseding  all  other  living  things,  reach- 
ing almost  to  our  conception  of  Deity  and  bound 
up  with  all  this  unsurpassed  ability,  this  far- 
reaching  power  lies  the  opposite  or  elements  of 
danger  and  destruction,  falsehood  and  distortion. 


80  Tllli    LO(.;iC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

cruelty  and  deception,  evil  impulses  and  demon- 
iac power,  all  the  traits  and  possibilities  inherent 
in  what  might  be  termed  the  evil  one  according 
to  tradition. 

As  we  gaze  upon  a  group  of  men  and  women 
as  they  congregate  to  hear  a  speaker  on  the  street 
or  to  watch  the  ascent  of  a  balloon,  or  the  vibra> 
tory  movements  of  a  rising  aeroplane,  what  a 
strange  and  varied  picture  would  present  if  we 
could  but  reach  the  inner  life  of  all  these  assem- 
bled. The  dark  and  avaricious  deeds  in  contem- 
plation;  the  threatening  assaults  of  others;  the 
cool  and  cunning  plans  proposed ;  the  treachery 
and  deceit,  the  loathsome  thoughts  and  dark  de- 
sires, the  morbid  appetites  and  heated  passions, 
all  waiting  for  the  opportunity  of  expression, 
like  encased,  compressed  dynamite  awaiting  the 
propitious  moment  for  explosion.  Among  the 
throng  would  be  natures  quite  the  opposite, 
whose  ambition  would  be  to  benefit  the  human 
race  individually  or  combined ;  to  educate  the 
young  to  high  attainment ;  whose  souls  are  bent 
on  doing  good ;  who  aspire  to  the  highest  realms 
of  mental  light;  whose  cultured  minds  unfold 
like  flowers  of  richest  bloom ;  whose  every 
thought  is  of  an  upward  trend,  yearning  to  grasp 
the  lofty  truths  pronounced  in  the  apostolic  age 
as  being  possible  until  the  inner  vision  may  grasp 
at  heavenly  glimpses ;  whose  lives  compare  with 
one's   conception  of  angels  of  a  higher  sphere. 


:SLAN,    THE    UNSOLVED    PROBLEM  81 

Then  others,  if  we  could  but  penetrate  their  inner 
selves  where  a  mixture  of  elements  operate  to 
bring  the  two  extremes  together.  Many,  like  a 
silver  plate,  are  stamped  with  memorable  events 
clearly  cut  and  ready  for  study  and  reflection,  as 
were  the  laws  engraved  by  the  finger  of  God  upon 
the  tablets  of  stone;  yet,  mingled  with  these 
superior  attributes  are  opposite  characteristics, 
as  if  the  plates  were  turned  and  tarnished  until 
the  inscription  becomes  reversed  and  changed 
in  every  respect  to  correspond  with  the  dictation 
of  a  fiend  incarnate,  and  there  lies  another  mys- 
tery to  be  solved.  But  upon  due  reflection  we 
can  recognize  that  conditions  change  through  a 
rational  procedure. 

All  this  display  of  good  and  evil,  of  these  oppo- 
site conditions,  is  a  manifestation  of  the  powers 
playing  in  multiplied  forms  throughout  the  uni- 
verse and  not  escaping  the  invisible  souls  of  men 
and  women. 

A  human  organization  might  be  considered  as 
auto-generator,  and  if  man  has  the  power  to  de- 
velop himself  after  the  involuntary  stage  of  ante- 
natal life,  it  is  presumable  that  his  will  and  wis- 
dom must  be  consulted  and  every  vital  cell  that 
enters  into  his  formation  must  bear  an  influence 
upon  his  coming  years  and  character,  on  his 
thought,  his  actions,  his  loves  and  his  attractions, 
whether  tending  to  the  right  or  wTong. 


82  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    J  1 M  L 

During-  the  stage  of  infancy  and  irresponsible 
youth,  the  bud  r>\  manhood  is  shaped  to  bloom  in 
form  and  color  according  to  the  culture  and  the 
elements  consumed  for  its  growth  and  power. 

At  this  tender  susceptible  time  of  life  the  great- 
est care  should  be  observed ;  care  and  training 
based  on  principles  of  growth  and  unfoldment  to 
perfection  in  all  living  things  with  which  we  have 
.to  do,  and  the  proper  training  of  the  germ  or 
youth  of  mankind  is  of  more  import  than  all  else 
with  which  we  have  to  deal. 

In  the  construction  and  working  of  machinery 
the  novitiate  must  accept  the  initial  steps  with 
close  discrimination ;  must  study  well  all  the 
parts  and  must  comprehend  their  adaptation. 
Each  part  must  be  wrought  from  a  special  timber, 
cloth,  or  metal  and  where  metal  is  demanded  no 
other  substance  can  take  its  place.  Every  point 
must  be  critically  observed  and  every  law  must 
be  obeyed ;  even  if  ten  thousand  specimens  are 
demanded,  no  more  thoughtless,  reckless  work 
must  accompany  the  construction  of  the  last  than 
was  indulged  in  the  creation  of  the  first,  and  all 
the  work  thus  properly  done,  and  all  the  care 
observed  has  yielded  an  untold  benefit  to  thous- 
ands who  were  blest  from  the  use  of  each  and 
every  product  of  such  cultivated  labor ;  and 
wealth  beyond  calculation  may  have  resulted 
from  all  this  exact  and  scientific  skill ;  and  yet, 
to  compare  the  importance  and  utility  of  any  such 


MAN,    THE    UNSOLVED    PROBLEM  83 

commercial  wares  or  their  real  value  to  the  world, 
with  the  conception,  birth  and  enfoldment  of 
human  beings,  there  is  no  parallel. 

The  advent  of  one  human  form  with  all  the 
latent  power  within  is  of  vastly  more  importance 
to  the  world  than  any  one  machine  for  whatever 
use  it  may  be  designed. 

The  coming  of  one  infant  to  the  w^orld,  let  the 
sex  be  male  or  female,  the  influence  for  good  or 
evil  upon  that  child  will  bear  upon  posterity  to 
the  extent  of  generations.  No  one  can  estimate 
the  amount  of  good  or  evil  results  arising  from 
his  or  her  own  life  or  actions,  which  may  be  enor- 
mous;  yet  but  little  thought  is  given  to  this 
momentous  subject. 

To  build  a  house  and  then  to  see  where  great 
mistakes  were  made,  with  some  apartments 
much  too  small  and  other  equally  unproportioned 
in  their  elaborate  design ;  in  one  case  the  ceilings 
so  low  that  one  could  not  stand  erect,  and  in  an- 
other perhaps  so  high  that  rooms  above  were 
much  distorted,  with  halls  and  corridors  holding 
unnecessary  space,  with  no  windows,  or  with  out- 
looks so  contracted  that  but  little  light  could  be 
admitted,  and  air  almost  excluded,  with  chimneys 
too  wide  and  open,  or  none  at  all,  would  be  an  evi- 
dence of  miscalculation,  a  want  of  reason,  a  lack  of 
wisdom,  and  to  the  casual  observer,  would  seem  to 
be  an  idiotic  attempt  to  accomplish  something  with- 
out any  wisdom  to  direct,  or  any  knowledge  of  the 


84  Till':    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

results.  Such  useless  structures  would  be  a  men- 
ace to  the  inhabitants  and  would  stand  as  monu- 
ments of  folly ;  distorted,  useless  and  an  encum- 
brance to  the  earth  upon  which  they  stand. 

While  in  reality  there  would  be  an  accumulated 
mass  of  material  that  could  have  been  utilized 
for  man's  comfort  and  convenience  if  wisdom  and 
cultured  thought  had  actuated  the  architect.  And 
yet,  a  thousand  of  such  incongruous  structures 
would  not  be  equal  to  the  distortion  and  evil 
results  of  one  thoughtless,  accidental,  malcon- 
structed  human  being;  for  the  indwelling 
spirit  of  what  under  more  favorable  circum- 
stances would  have  yielded  a  marvelous  benefit 
to  humanity  through  the  widespread  influence  of 
a  magnanimous,  philanthropic,  man-loving  and 
God-serving  individual. 

In  the  conception,  birth  and  development  of  the 
human  family,  as  a  rule,  there  is  no  more  judg- 
ment exercised  in  the  selection  of  parents,  as  to 
the  state  of  health,  temperament  or  mental  adap- 
tation leading  to  the  important  advent  of  human 
existence,  than  was  maintained  in  the  structure 
of  unbalanced,  impractical  building  up  of  material 
into  what  was  called  a  dwelling  house,  and  the 
result  of  such  thoughtless  reproduction  is  recog-- 
nized  in  the  multitude  of  incompetent,  unbal- 
anced minds,  imperfect  bodies  subject  to  disease, 
who  in  their  life's  experience  are  prone  to  acts 
of   cruelty,   dishonor,    theft   and    licentiousness; 


WEALTH    WORTH    THE    SEEKING  85 

who  can  not  merit  respect  or  trust  from  the  more 
fortunate  class. 

In  many  instances,  although  the  exterior  might 
seem  fair  and  financial  circumstances  might 
allure,  and  friends  might  suggest  and  favor  the 
union  of  such  for  the  parentage  of  a  coming  race 
even  when  consorted  with  a  more  harmonious 
and  well-toned  person,  such  a  union  would  result 
in  most  unfortunate  progeny,  more  to  be  deplored 
and  causing  more  unhappiness  and  discontent 
than  to  accept  for  a  dwelling  place  the  dark,  in- 
convenient, life-exhausting  and  undesirable  struc- 
ture as  one's  earthly  home. 

Never  will  the  race  succeed  in  rising  to  any- 
thing near  its  possibility  of  perfection,  or  to  be 
truly  civilized  until  generation  is  better  under- 
stood and  the  laws  of  reproduction  are  compre- 
hended and  utilized  in  the  development  of  the 
human  race. 


WEALTH    WORTH    THE    SEEKING 

11  HE  waking  hours  of  the  morning  are  emblem- 
1/  atic  of  the  mental  illumination  after  a  period 
of  darkness  and  doubt,  when  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness is  lifted  as  by  the  hand  of  God  from 
the  density  of  error;    then  light  breaks  through 


SI 


86  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

every  crevice  of  the  understanding  and  the  ideas 
are  brightened  by  the  keenness  of  vision  as  the 
result  of  correct  thinking,  from  the  light  of  reason 
having  gleamed  upon  the  clouded  perception. 

Hidden  away  from  the  befogged  and  darkened 
intellect  of  man  are  everlasting  stores  of  un- 
bounded knowledge  awaiting  opportunity  to  be 
grasped  and  utilized  as  his  own,  when  avarice  and 
selfish  greed  cease  to  play  the  most  in:iportant 
part  in  his  conservatory  of  thought ;  when  animal 
pleasures  are  relegated  to  the  mere  necessities  of 
life  and  the  real  human  qualities  become  recog- 
nized as  the  crowning  gift  of  man's  inheritance 
from  the  Father  to  the  son. 

When  this  prerogative  is  made  fully  known, 
the  baser  things  of  life,  the  lower  propensities 
will  be  recognized  as  mere  stepping  stones  to  a 
higher  and  really  human  existence. 

If  a  plant  grows  in  a  diverse  direction  and  the 
roots  continue  their  downward  course  to  the  sap- 
ping of  the  trunk  and  limbs  of  the  nourishment 
required  for  their  growth,  the  tree  would  be  a 
failure,  with  no  blossoms  to  indicate  a  coming 
fruitage,  no  wealth  of  yield  for  which  the  tree 
was  originally  designed.  If  such  were  the  results 
of  growth,  no  value  would  be  granted  to  the 
unprofitable  specimen ;  the  tree  would  be  up- 
rooted, cast  aside  as  useless  and  the  earth  made 
clear  for  a  more  successful  type  that  would  yield 
the  product  required  for  use  and  beauty. 


WEALTH    WORTH    THE    SEEKING  87 

So  with  all  things  that  retrograde,  that  seek  the 
lower  plane  of  life  and  never  yield  one-half  of  the 
intended  benefit  through  a  stunted  or  distorted 
growth. 

If  this  stationary  or  retrograding  move  were 
detected  in  the  vegetable  or  animal  kingdom 
there  would  be  a  search  for  causes,  through  a 
course  of  study  of  the  natural  laws  for  the  growth 
of  either,  would  be  entered  upon,  that  a  commer- 
cial profit  might  be  derived ;  but  if  no  fruit  de- 
veloped and  no  increase  of  stock,  the  disappoint- 
ment would  be  very  great. 

If  the  horse  or  cow  maintained  their  powers  to 
grow,  to  eat  and  live  with  no  ability  to  draw  a 
load,  nor  yield  the  hoped-for  benefit,  both  would 
very  soon  be  abandoned  to  make  room  for  a 
more  profitable  claim,  while  at  the  present  time 
and  really  for  ages  back  there  has  been  a  dearth 
of  man's  actual  capability  and  intended  worth. 

All  natural  products  are  capable  of  varied  use. 
There  are  degrees  of  utility  which  may  be  recog- 
nized in  every  plant  and  tree,  in  every  grade  of 
animal  life,  and  when  the  best  is  sought  and  cul- 
tured the  evidence  is  presented  without  doubt 
or  uncertainty. 

In  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life  much  is  learned 
through  unexpected  incidents,  as  the  suggestion 
for  the  application  of  steam,  as  a  motor  power, 
came  from  the  lifting  of  the  teakettle  lid  by  the 
expanding  steam,  and  the   adaptability  of  elec- 


88  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

tricity  to  the  wants  of  man.  It  is  so  with  all  dis- 
coveries, whether  considered  from  effect  to  cause, 
or  through  spontaneous  action  the  attention  be- 
came attracted,  but  after  a  glimpse  toward  use- 
fulness presents,  if  any  commercial  utility  were 
conceived  of,  whereby  traffic  could  be  increased, 
or  moneyed  claims  enhanced,  energy  and  labor 
would  be  centered  upon  its  successful  application, 
and  no  time  w^ould  be  lost  in  bringing  into  play 
the  great  advantage  hoped  for. 

All  this  effort  and  mental  strain  for  an  achieve- 
ment to  enlarge  trafific  and  trade  with  but  little 
or  no  consideration  as  to  the  great  advantage 
such  an  enterprize  might  confer  toward  the 
advancement  of  the  real  man  within,  as  to  his 
greater  opportunities  to  extend  his  aid  to  the  less 
fortunate,  to  redeem  the  overpowered  who  had 
thoughtlessly  yielded  to  some  habit  that  now 
holds  the  victim  under  absolute  control,  or  for 
the  support  and  comfort  of  the  numberless  or»- 
phans  and  sickly  widows ;  for  the  education  of 
the  unfortunate  criminal  whereby  he  may  be 
reclaimed  and  restored  to  the  public  confidence, 
and  thus  in  many  philanthropic  ways  to  elevate 
his  own  soul  to  a  higher  and  more  comprehensive 
plane  which  would  be  a  lever  to  raise  his 
thoughts  to  a  more  elevated  system  of  work  than 
to  the  prospect  of  greater  financial  advantage  of 
the  newly  discovered  element  or  invention,  the 
utilization  of  which  contributes  but  little  to  the 


WEALTH    WORTH    THE    SEEKING  89 

exaltation  of  the  human  race  when  applied  espe- 
cially for  financial  profit. 

Man's  traveling  opportunities  may  be  enhanced 
whereby  he  sees  advantages  to  purchase  lands 
or  to  invest  his  ready  wealth  with  a  fair  prospect 
of  a  great  increase ;  his  rapid  flights  from  place 
to  place  afford  greater  opportunities  to  accumu- 
late this  world's  wealth. 

The  upward  movements  far  above  the  surface 
of  the  earth  by  balloons  or  aeroplanes  affords  an 
opportunity  to  view  the  scenes  below  and  to 
watch  the  maneuverings  on  a  battlefield  whereby 
favorable  positions  may  be  found  to  discharge 
artillery  for  the  greater  destruction  of  the  foe. 

Electricity  lights  the  way  and  propels  the 
train  with  increased  speed  which  shortens  the 
time  between  the  start  and  finish  of  the  journey, 
affording  more  opportunity  for  financial  affairs 
both  before  and  after  the  journey.  All  of  these 
advantages  are  of  a  material  nature  and  aid  him 
to  engross  his  mind  with  a  heavier  load  of  busi- 
ness plans. 

Every  day  of  the  week,  with  one  exception, 
and  almost  every  hour,  is  engaged  with  moneyed 
enterprises  by  which  his  mind  is  bound  and 
firmly  held  to  the  material  side  of  life,  as  to 
how  his  w-ealth  may  be  increased,  perhaps  to 
meet  the  present  needs,  or  how  it  may  bring  the 
greatest  interest. 


90  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

One  achievement  stimulates  the  desire  for  an- 
other; then  to  preserve  his  wealth  from  the 
grasping  hand  of  others  who  are  ever  ready  for 
a  successful  deal. 

Whether  a  foe  or  a  friend,  if  something  can 
be  gained  by  hasty  action  or  by  more  extended 
time,  he  waits  or  hastens  as  the  case  may  be. 
Like  a  hungry  vulture  he  tears  the  golden  flesh 
from  off  the  bones  of  the  helpless  one  not  quite 
so  well  versed  in  the  machinery  of  affairs  as  to 
secure  the  larger  share. 

So  through  all  the  grades  of  life  from  the  mili- 
tary post  to  the  founder  of  the  church,  from  the 
contractor  of  a  structure  to  the  builder  of  the 
same ;  and  on  from  one  to  another  whose  hands 
find  work  to  do,  even  to  the  clergyman  whose 
yearly  funds  must  increase  to  correspond  with 
the  size,  appearance  and  value  of  the  church. 
Every  attendant  at  such  function  must  dress  to 
correspond  and  go  prepared  to  contribute  to  the 
funds  according  to  the  great  outlay,  even  to  the 
expense  of  bell  and  chimes. 

Discoveries  of  ever-existing  but  latent  laws 
and  elements  of  worth  should  be  appropriated  to 
help  the  fatherless  and  the  unfortunate,  the  aged 
and  the  blind,  the  crippled  and  the  deaf.  If 
women  could  be  made  comfortable  and  happy 
during  life  on  earth  without  a  great  mental  strain 
as  to  how  life  can  be  prolonged,  as  to  how  and 
from   where   the  needed   sustenance   may   come, 


EARLY    MORAL    TRAINING 


91 


her  offspring  might  be  born  with  balanced  bod- 
ies and  brains  well  set,  and  every  generation 
might  in  many  ways  surpass  the  present,  and  the 
man  internal,  the  real  "I  AM,"  could  claim  from 
year  to  year  a  stronger  hold  on  life. 

If  this  world's  work  could  be  better  done,  that 
the  mind  might  become  receptive  to  the  penetra- 
ble truths  that  so  richly  abound  but  from  neces- 
sity are  hidden  from  the  material,  groping  intel- 
lect without  time  or  disposition  to  grasp  and  hold 
as  riches  of  more  value  than  mines  afford,  the 
glory  and  happiness  of  life  would  surpass  in 
every  way  all  that  man  may  grasp  as  material 
wealth  from  this  physical  plane. 


(U 


EARLY    MORAL    TRAINING. 

^|HE  rippling  streams  converge  to  make  the 
a/  rivers.  The  seas  and  oceans  are  akin,  as 
are  the  various  nations  of  men,  and  the  vast 
number  of  people  are  as  streams  and  rills  to  the 
Amazon.  There  is  no  stream  of  water  without 
a  source  and  outlet.  The  largest  mass  of  water 
must  have  a  source  from  which  to  draw  the  ele- 
ments for  its  continuation,  and  when  this  source 
is   exhausted   the   quantity   will    diminish    until 


92  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

there  will  be  but  little  left  save  dregs  and  slime 
which  culminate  in  noxious  gas  that  fills  the  air 
with  poison  for  which  there  is  no  remedy  save 
to  flush  the  river  bed  with  streams  from  other 
sources.  Embankments  must  be  removed, 
ditches  be  cut  perhaps  through  miles  of  solid 
earth  and  rock,  that  waters  from  some  other 
source  may  find  their  way  into  the  stagnant, 
baneful,  life-destroying  reservoirs  that  once  were 
filled  with  sparkling  water  to  the  brim  and 
served  for  transportation  and  the  pleasure-seek- 
ing multitudes. 

So  with  human  needs ;  when  elements  for 
health  and  usefulness  are  all  exhausted  and  the 
dregs  of  ancestral  lives  alone  are  left,  there  must 
be  an  influx  from  other  sources  to  compensate 
for  the  exhausted  materials  essential  to  life, 
growth  and  to  intellectual  activity. 

Man's  ignorance  of  esoteric  causes  of  infirmity 
of  mind  and  loss  of  vital  force,  is  only  equaled  by 
his  prejudice  in  regard  to  his  failures  and  to  the 
source  of  his  supplies. 

All  other  subjects  relating  to  improvement 
claim  his  deliberate  thought,  save  the  real  bet- 
terment of  himself. 

The  topography  of  his  country,  the  finances 
and  growth  of  cities,  the  advantages  of  machin- 
ery, the  application  of  discoveries  to  the  econ- 
omics of  the  nation  or  the  means  of  trade  and 
profit,  all  concern  him  more  than  his  own  wel- 


EARLY    MORAL   TRAINING  93 

fare  regarding  his  physical  and  spiritual  condi- 
tion. 

The  plant  is  cultivated  from  the  germination 
of  the  seed  to  maturity ;  it  is  irrigated,  fertilized, 
trimmed,  trained  and  relieved  of  all  incum- 
brances, dead  leaves,  wilted  blossoms  and  super- 
fluous branches. 

The  chick,  from  selection  of  egg  until  a  full 
grown  fowl,  is  cared  for  that  it  may  excel,  but 
humanity  is  deferred  in  its  many  phases  of  excel- 
lency until  near  the  maturing  stage  before  active 
care  is  bestowed  upon  his  own  progressive 
powers. 

There  is  a  semblance  of  great  interest  through 
the  erection  of  expensive  structures  and  various 
grades  of  schooling  from  whence  to  garner  lore 
through  scientific  demonstration  and  mathemati- 
cal precision.  Church  edifices  are  erected  and 
estimated  according  to  their  number  and  the 
moneyed  outlay  in  construction,  but  the  real 
education,  the  moral  training  and  valuable  appli- 
cation of  lessons  most  needful  are  deferred  and 
the  first  principles  of  candor,  honesty  and  fidelity 
are  too  often  laid  aside  for  the  substitution  of 
quotations  of  eloquence,  and  music,  for  the  pre- 
sentation of  character  and  doctrines  of  antiquity, 
while  the  inestimable  value  of  every  day  truth, 
honor,  respect  and  love  should  be  inculcated  in 
early  youth ;  even  from  the  hour  of  birth  there 
is    a    susceptibility    to    culture    which    increases 


94  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

with  age  and  application  both  l)y  precept  and 
example,  thereby  laying  the  foundation  of  moral 
training  as  upon  a  rock  secure,  for  honor,  truth 
and  justice,  for  which  a  richer  reward  would  be 
sure  to  follow,  than  could  possibly  accrue  from 
the  training  of  the  brute  creation  for  utility  or 
pleasure;  even  with  an  unfortunate  origin,  much 
improvement  would  ensue  and  each  following 
generation  would  manifest  the  good  results  of 
such  a  continued,  untiring  course  of  education. 

Faculties  of  moderate  power  develop  in  the 
direction  bent,  and  unfavorable  traits  continually 
decline  through  their  suppression  and  a  wise  and 
persistent  course  to  subdue  the  selfish  trend 
which,  if  left  unrestrained,  would  lead  to  ruin. 

There  is  no  time  to  lose  in  the  culture  of  the 
human  race;  in  infancy  the  task  might  well  com- 
mence— the  encouragement  of  generous  impulses, 
the  rigid  rules  for  truth,  the  early  suppression  of 
false  statements,  in  every  way  to  increase  the 
number  and  strength  of  brain  cells  in  the  direc- 
tion of  honor,  conscience  and  integrity. 

The  leaves  of  sympathy  would  bud  forth  and 
the  wholesome  fruit  of  a  just  life  would  be 
revealed  in  embryo  and  made  more  manifest  as 
age  progresses  until  honesty  and  truth  would 
be  the  foundation  of  every  impulse  and  generos- 
ity would  have  a  charm.  To  be  just  and  to  do 
good  would  be  a  pleasure,  while  love  for  all 
things  would  unfold  like  the  petals  of  a  flower 


TWO    WORLDS EARTH    AND    HEAVEN  95 

with  no  sting  of  selfishness,  no  poison  of  hypoc- 
risy to  mar  the  character  of  the  well  born,  the 
wisely  reared  and  cultured  blossoms  of  humanity. 


TWO    WORLDS— EARTH    AND    HEAVEN 

HE  angel  world  is  in  our  midst  and  we  are 


Ul 


tJ  as  one  with  it  and  all  the  difiference  is, 
we  are  clothed  with  more  material  substance 
from  which  they  are  disrobed  and  are  more 
free. 

Through  our  own  organisms  we  build  our 
bodies  from  the  food  and  liquid  we  absorb  and 
from  the  atmosphere,  while  they  habilitate  them- 
selves through  their  own  thoughts  and  the  effort 
they  make  to  add  to  the  happiness  of  others. 
This  course  for  them  is  as  essential  to  their  devel- 
opment as  digestion  is  for  earth's  inhabitants. 
The  law  holds  good  in  both  spheres  but  the 
results  present  a  difference  in  the  elements 
evolved.  On  earth  the  more  physical  form  is 
required  to  compete  with  the  elemental  sub- 
stances with  which  it  must  contend,  while  with 
the  disembodied,  the  earth  itself  is  changed  and 
all  material  things  have  gone  through  a  refining 
process  which  renders  them  more  adaptable  to 


96  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

the  wants  of  the  ever-merging  inhabitants  to  the 
spirit  sphere,  and  each  new  visitant  brings  con- 
ditions which  he  unconsciously  develoi)s  wliile 
a  dweller  of  the  earth.  A  comparison  may  shed 
some  light  upon  this  philosophy. 

No  mortal  really  knows  just  what  the  result 
of  his  food  will  be,  whether  he  will  build  his 
body  from  day  to  day  to  just  the  same  extent,  or 
in  the  exact  form  that  his  nourishment  induced 
last  week  or  in  the  last  twelve  months,  as  the 
difference  in  shape  and  quality  of  the  material 
substance  of  which  his  body  is  formed,  will 
depend  much,  upon  what  he  consumes  and  what 
the  forces  are  that  surround  him.  If  he  main- 
tains a  low  condition,  merely  grovelling  for  his 
sustenance,  and  he  draws  that  from  foul,  un- 
healthy sources,  he  will  hold  his  form  ingrained 
as  the  environments  and  material  could  and  did 
afford. 

If  vicious  thoughts  were  entertained  and  noth- 
ing but  the  lowest  hopes  were  held ;  if  degrada- 
tion is  his  atmosphere  for  mind  and  body,  both 
will  truly  manifest  the  course  he  has  pursued. 
If  the  light  of  reason  beams  on  him  and  the 
atmostphere  of  health  is  inhaled  into  his  being 
and  a  springtime  of  joy  breaks  through  his 
encased  soul,  the  man  will  be  transformed;  his 
face  will  show  the  change ;  his  flesh  will  be  soft- 
ened ;  his  very  hair  becomes  more  flexible  and 
the  kind  expression  of  his  countenance  will  indi- 


TWO    WORLDS — EARTH    AND   HEAVEN 


97 


cate  the  change  of  heart  and  a  change  of  mol- 
ecules throughout  his  frame.  Then  when  his 
friends  of  former  times  behold  the  transformation 
they  will  scarcely  recognize  the  form  or  counte- 
nance as  being  the  man  of  other  days. 

This  law  holds  good  in  spirit  life.  If  one  is 
so  fortunate  as  to  fill  a  niche  where  he  can  smile 
upon  a  fellow  spirit,  and  can  evoke  a  smile  from 
him,  a  little  change  to  both  has  come ;  if  he  can 
gladden  a  lonely  soul,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
heaven,  who  feels  deprived  of  all  he  ever  loved 
and  can  induce  him  to  turn  his  mind  or  soul 
towards  things  above  and  can  divert  his  thoughts 
to  a  more  generous  and  widened  course,  his  whole 
being  shows  the  regenerative  work  that  has 
begun.  And  w^hen  his  feet  are  planted  upon  more 
stable  ground  there  comes  to  him  a  faith  and 
confidence  that  buoy  him  up,  and  from  the  mire 
and  slime  of  a  lower  life  comes  the  grand  aspiring 
soul  transformed  from  what  had  seemed  to  be 
unredeemable  in  its  earlier  state. 

So  it  is  no  myth — no  figure  of  speech — when 
we  say  that  "man  is  as  he  makes  himself,  either 
on  earth  or  in  the  spirit  world."  And  this  trans- 
formation is  so  rapid  and  so  thorough,  that  a  few 
years  time  will  weave  such  a  change  that  persons 
with  whom  in  youth  he  may  have  mingled,  will 
not  recognize  him  as  being  the  same  they  knew 
in  earlier  life ;  which  again  verifies  the  statement 
that  "as  a  man  thinks  so  is  he." 


98  TIIK    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Thoughts,  hopes,  aspirations,  all  conspire  to 
actually  modify  the  tissues  of  the  body;  they 
lessen  the  constructive  fibres  or  they  increase 
their  size;  they  control  the  vital  forces;  they 
institute  noxious  elements ;  they  can  eliminate 
baneful  influences;  they  light  the  countenance 
from  a  sad  or  stolid  caste  to  one  of  joy  and  hope; 
they  change  the  features  even  to  the  shape  of 
mouth  and  chin,  the  brows  are  raised  or  lowered. 

The  compressed  lips  of  doubt  and  fear  are 
changed,  as  hope  and  courage  take  their  place 
and  there  is  beauty  now  where  the  shadow  of  dis- 
content once  held  a  malignant  sway.  The  form 
was  bent,  the  hands  were  clutched  and  hardened, 
and  every  motion  proved  an  efifort,  when  with  a 
different  quality  of  food  and  an  uplifting  com- 
panionship, physical  changes  are  perceived,  in 
keeping  with  the  more  harmonious  lives,  until 
in  time  a  shapely  form  is  molded  to  correspond 
with  the  indwelling  rejuvenated  and  regenerated 
soul. 

As  the  developed  chick  breaks  from  its  germinal 
casement,  the  shell,  so  the  emancipated  spirit 
leaves  his  earthly  tenement  and  a  new  world 
comes  to  him  from  which  he  draws  vitality  and 
power  with  more  ease  and  adaptability,  than  earth 
ever  afforded  him,  and  every  wish  and  every 
thought  has  power  to  formulate  and  to  apply, 
while  to  realize  a  wish  on  earth  involves  both  ex- 
pense and  time,  and  there  are  often  physical  bar- 


TWO    WORLDS — EARTH    AND    HEAVEN 


99 


riers  impossible  to  remove,  as  the  body  must  bear 
the  soul  to  points  in  view  on  earth.  Aspirations 
must  often  be  denied;  while  inhabiting  the  more 
sublimated  form  in  spirit  life,  with  a  body  quite  as 
real,  aerial  flights  can  be  performed  with  but  few, 
if  any  obstructions,  and  the  more  exalted  the  dis- 
embodied soul  may  be,  the  freer  is  it  to  accomplish 
all  such  feats,  and  the  apparent  barriers  are  the 
more  easily  overcome  in  accordance  with  the  law 
of  spirit  unfoldment,  which  depends  upon  the 
spiritual  exaltation  or  the  desire  and  ambition 
to  increase  in  knowledge  and  goodness. 

Power  put  into  effect  upon  unholy  occasions 
might  lead  to  serious  results.  Knowledge  how- 
ever much  desired  and  however  commendable, 
may  by  misapplication  increase  opportunities  for 
wickedness  and  crime,  and,  unless  guided  by  the 
hand  of  wisdom,  widens  the  opportunity  for  evil. 
So  in  the  spirit  realms  restrictions  must  be  exer- 
cised for  good  results  in  freedom. 

Eggs  will  lie  where  they  are  placed  and  no 
harm  will  come  from  them,  but  when  the  chicks 
leave  the  shell  they  must  be  barred  from  flying 
into  other  yards  and  from  picking  grain  from 
other  cribs,  so  screens  and  fences  are  prepared 
to  keep  them  in  restraint.  Spirits  born  to  greater 
freedom  must  be  forestalled  from  opportunities 
they  might  accept  which  would  result  in  harm 
to  both  themselves  and  others,  hence  laws  and 
regulations  are  established  to  guide  the  inhabi- 


100  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

tants  of  the  spirit  spheres.  Laws  which  cannot 
be  transgressed  without  retribution  and  obedi- 
ence are  indelibly  impressed  upon  each  individual 
conscience,  and  this  knowledge  makes  the  spirit 
free  to  choose  the  right  which  bears  the  banner 
of  success  and  unmistaken  happiness. 

There  is  no  possible  opportunity  to  escape  the 
penalty  of  disobedience,  while  the  greatest  joy  is 
an  accompaniment  of  right  doing.  And  by  such 
a  code  of  unmistakable  penalties  resulting  from 
erroneous  thoughts  a  picture  of  the  after-effects 
is  presented  which  repels  the  actions  of  the  most 
hardened  sinner  whose  life  on  earth  was  spent 
in  evil  doing,  and  leads  him  to  choose  to  do  the 
right  in  every  case,  when  the  result  of  acts  become 
apparent. 


(H 


HUMAN  EXALTATION 

^1  HE  sorrowing  widow  will  find  consolation 
1/  at  the  feet  of  Christ.  The  tired  and  weary 
laborer  finds  rest  and  courage  at  the  Throne,  for 
God  our  Father  is  ever  ready  to  bless  and 
strengthen  all  His  children,  and  when  they  keep 
in  range  with  His  illuminating  rays  they  will  feel 
and  know  that  He  is  near  and  that  the  Redeemer 
liveth. 


^, '  •  • 


>      1  >  > 


>  >    > 


HUMAN    EXALTATION  101 

But  when  man  turns  his  face  away  and  hides 
the  light  from  his  half  closed  eyes,  when  his  head 
is  bowed  to  the  god  of  mammon  and  all  his  ambi- 
tion is  to  increase  his  wealth  of  gold,  to  satisfy 
his  appetite  with  savory  food  and  to  gratify  his 
passions  through  temptations  that  lure  him  from 
the  straight  and  narrow  way ;  when  avarice  and 
greed  monopolize  his  thoughts  and  make  him 
bold  to  act;  when  virtue  has  no  charm  and  the 
sense  of  honor  is  banished  from  his  soul,  he  closes 
tight  the  avenues  that  lead  to  a  higher  life  and 
he  excludes  the  light  of  reason  and  repels  the 
grace  of  God.  He  turns  his  back  to  heaven  and 
bows  to  the  Prince  of  Darkness  as  his  friend  and 
guide. 

Planted  in  man's  nature  is  the  choice  to  accept 
the  higher  law  that  leads  to  peace  and  harmony 
and  to  the  Divine,  while  the  other  course  in  life 
leads  to  discord  and  continual  strife ;  and  mankind 
is  so  endowed  that  he  has  the  choice  to  rise  or 
fall  as  the  mind  directs.  Were  it  not  for  this 
choice  indwelling,  he  would  be  but  a  member  of 
the  brute  creation,  with  no  free  will  to  act;  he 
would  be  a  mere  automaton  to  be  swayed  to  and 
fro,  and  more  dangerous  than  the  most  feroc- 
ious beast  or  the  most  venomous  serpent  that 
crawls  the  earth,  for  with  his  intellectual 
ability  to  plan  and  make,  to  delve  into  the 
mysteries  of  nature,  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
laws  of  light  and  heat,  the  wonderful  powers  of 


102  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

electricity,  the  acumen  and  constructive  ingenu- 
ity in  connection  with  his  destructive  nature,  with 
the  immensity  of  his  selfish  greed,  had  he  no  con- 
science and  no  choice  of  will  he  would  be  a 
dangerous  creature.  Like  an  engine  steamed  and 
ready  with  no  master  hand  to  guide  the  move- 
ments of  its  speed,  in  its  utter  blindness  of  re- 
sults, would  tear  the  rails  from  the  track  and 
dash  things  to  destruction,  itself  would  be  in 
danger,  and  all  things  to  which  its  force  were 
given ;  or  like  a  ship  at  sea,  steamed  and  ready 
for  a  voyage,  if  left  to  its  destiny  would  recklessly 
pitch  and  roll  to  the  destruction  of  every  object 
met,  but  more  particularly  to  itself — so  man  with- 
out the  faculty  of  choice  to  govern  actions,  with- 
out will  that  is  free  to  decide  the  better  way,  un- 
like the  intelligent  operator  at  the  helm  or  rudder, 
would  wreck  himself  and  all  things  would  be  en- 
dangered with  which  he  had  to  do;  but  with  the 
use  of  this  superior  endowment,  the  rudder  of  the 
soul,  this  ever-ready  guide  directs,  steers  and 
holds  the  mortal  ship  upon  the  waves  of  life  in 
safety  when  the  winds  of  anger  blow  or  the  surg- 
ing waves  of  discontent  encroach  upon  the  hull 
or  deck.  The  conscience,  that  combination  of  fac- 
ulties, that  innate  guide,  should  be  ever  ready  to 
turn  the  ship  from  the  rough  and  stormy  sea  to 
the  haven  of  quiet  rest,  if  so  permitted  by  the 
intelligent  will-power  of  the  craft's  wise  captain. 
Man  is  the  crowning  piece  of  God's  great  work- 


HUMAN    EXALTATION  103 

manship,  whose  worth  transcends  all  other  life, 
all  other  objects  of  creation,  not  excepting  the 
highest  peak  of  the  mountain  range  or  the  great- 
est wealth  of  the  deepest  cavern  of  the  mighty 
ocean.  The  whole  material  world  does  not  equal 
in  actual  worth  the  value  of  one  inborn  human 
soul.  The  shining  stars  above,  the  moon  with 
her  soft  pale  light,  the  sun  with  all  his  glory, 
nothing  save  God  himself,  can  compare  with  the 
soul  of  man.  So  capable  and  so  aspiring,  so  in- 
genious and  so  able  to  apply  the  laws  of  Deity 
for  the  advancement  of  his  race  and  of  the  world 
in  which  he  lives,  if  not  of  the  entire  universe. 

The  brute  creation  is  lifted  to  a  higher  plane 
through  the  mental  and  physical  influence  of  our 
race.  All  the  known  laws  of  God  should  be 
brought  into  practical  use  for  the  good  of  the 
world  and  its  millions  of  inhabitants  and  for  the 
good  of  worlds  beyond,  as  co-workers  of  Deity 
.and  capable  of  an  ascension  to  the  dizzy  heights 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  All  else  is  as  naught 
compared  with  the  human  kind. 

Through  self-culture,  true  nobility  we  may 
claim.  Kings  and  queens  by  birth  selected  can- 
not compare  with  God's  elected  made  worthy 
through  a  life  of  noble  work  in  obedience  to  the 
laws  established  by  the  all-ruling  Power,  the 
Master  Workman  of  the  universe. 

And  as  these  superior  laws  are  unfolded  and 
are   fully   comprehended   by   mankind,   a   higher 


104  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

growth  of  spirituality  will  be  made  manifest  and 
more  noble  qualities  will  be  evolved,  and  beauty, 
grace  and  power  will  be  developed  beyond  our 
present  expectation. 

Will-power  guided  by  wisdom  and  love  will  be 
a  law  more  mighty  than  metal  whether  silver  or 
gold ;  when  conscience  predominates,  humanity 
will  rise  from  its  present  uncertain  condition  to 
one  of  more  reliability,  as  intelligent,  God-loving, 
self-respecting  entities,  and  the  human  race  may 
stand  as  an  important  factor  in  the  progressive 
movements  of  this  great  universe  and  as  an  essen- 
tial co-worker  with  the  Father. 


SPIRITUAL  AWAKENING 

-JirNSPIRATION  is  as  distilled  water  pouring 
^  through  a  sieve  of  finest  wire  to  fertilize  the 
mind  of  the  recipient  to  the  power  of  thought, 
like  the  fine  mist  on  a  summer's  morning  to  refresh 
the  flowers,  ere  the  sun  breaks  forth  in  all  his 
glory,  thereby  preparing  the  delicate  plants  to  re- 
ceive the  solar  rays,  as  the  growth  and  beauty  of 
the  flower  is  enhanced  by  these  far-ofif  elements 
when  united  in  their  action,  even  upon  the  tiny 
shrub  that  decorates  the.  peasant's  home. 


SPIRITUAL  AWAKENING  105 

Inspiration  is  always  ready,  as  are  the  sun's 
rays  to  shine  upon  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth, 
if  not  obstructed  by  the  handiwork  of  man.  If 
the  humblest  plant  is  left  free  to  receive,  it  shares 
equally  in  the  brightness,  warmth  and  life  as  the 
most  pretentious  growth,  and  so  with  the  illumi- 
nation by  the  light  of  inspiration,  if  the  mind  is 
prepared  to  receive.  The  dweller  in  the  humblest 
home  is  just  as  welcome  to  the  rays  of  spirit  light 
as  he  who  sits  upon  the  throne  or  makes  a  palace 
his  habitat. 

Inspiration  is  the  light  from  Deity,  the  Great 
Sun  of  righteousness  that  fills  the  universe,  and 
without  stint  or  choice  is  ever  ready  to  illuminate 
and  brighten  the  humblest  soul  if  the  obstructions 
of  fear  and  prejudice,  of  superstition  and  dread 
were  laid  aside  and  the  mind  was  made  bare  and 
free ;  beautiful  thoughts  would  be  aroused  to 
action  and  sentiments  would  flow  from  what  was 
once  considered  a  sleeping  intellect,  or  one  that 
had  never  given  to  the  world  an  evidence  of  life 
and  power  other  than  the  physical  system  might 
demand ;  yet  there  encased  in  that  humble  form 
are  treasures  of  rare  worth,  and  if  developed 
through  some  culture  and  some  opportunity 
would  blazen  forth  to  the  surprise  of  the  incred- 
ulous and  uninformed. 

All  heaven  is  ready  to  descend  to  earth  to  water 
and  to  kindle  into  birth  the  little  flame  in  the 
humblest   homes,   then   as   the   way   is   prepared 


106  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

through  a  better  course  of  life,  with  nutritious 
food,  warmth  and  comfort,  cleanliness  of  habit 
and  a  word  of  cheer  from  friends  or  neighbors  to 
assist  the  flowers  of  inspiration  to  grow,  and  from 
these  denizens  of  crime  and  darkness,  by  choice 
the  spirit  would  be  freed  and  the  natural  good- 
ness would  unfold,  bringing  forth  flowers  of  vir- 
tue, honor  and  trust. 

The  sun  of  righteousness  is  ever  ready  to  pene- 
trate where  the  way  is  made  free,  and  thousands 
of  God's  children  are  today  ignorant  of  their 
ability  and  may  look  with  astonishment  and  pride 
upon  the  achievements  of  others,  while  within 
themselves  there  is  far  more  to  unfold,  as  the  bud- 
ding plant  presents  the  fully  developed  flower  and 
fruit  when  the  roots  are  watered,  the  branches 
trimmed  and  weeds  removed  with  a  fair  chance  to 
the  sun  and  dew. 

To  live  as  people  should,  with  proper  surround- 
ings, with  some  thought  for  the  interest  and  wel- 
fare of  others,  a  gradual  unfoldment  would  result 
for  the  world's  great  good,  but  while  all  thought 
and  hope  is  based  upon  the  material  side  of  life, 
human  nature  is  transformed  and  the  superior 
personality  that  lies  encased  ready  for  expansion, 
remains  in  embryo  even  to  old  age,  like  the  meat 
of  the  walnut  in  the  shell  awaiting  conditions  to 
burst  forth  into  branches  and  roots,  into  leaves 
and  to  an  abundance  of  fruit. 


SPIRITUAL   AWAKENING  107 

Then  by  planting  and  watering,  by  sunlight 
and  free  circulation  of  air,  which  conditions  are 
required  for  the  life  energy  to  start  into  action 
and  which  if  ignored  or  neglected  there  would 
never  be  more  than  a  hard,  rough,  impenetrable 
shell  which  if  in  aggregate  number  would  be  a 
useless  incumbrance  to  the  land  holder,  but  with 
favorable  surroundings  whether  intended  or  oth- 
erwise given,  a  rich  reward  would  come.  If  to 
rid  the  field  of  such  hard,  gross-looking  objects 
they  were  plowed  under  the  surface,  as  a  refuge 
for  the  unseemly  accumulation,  in  due  time  the 
field  would  be  covered  by  a  growth  of  outspread- 
ing trees,  with  branches  and  leaves  and  a  multi- 
plied quantity  of  nutritious  and  delicious  material 
for  man  and  for  the  animal  kingdom. 

In  an  accidental  way  many  of  earth's  people, 
through  circumstances  most  unexpected,  burst 
forth  from  the  life-long  environments  which  held 
them  in  absolute  bondage  and  they  bud,  blossom 
and  bear  the  rich  fruit  of  noble  ideas,  of  thoughts 
and  expressions  that  surprise  and  astonish  the 
startled  observers  beyond  their  power  of  reason 
as  to  how  such  changes  had  come  to  these  once 
stolid  and  seemingly  stupified  subjects,  whereby 
such  an  illumination  should  be  apparent. 

The  foundation  of  light,  of  love,  of  goodness 
and  praise  had  existed  in  embryo  from  the  hour 
of  birth,  perhaps  for  a  half  century  or  more  pend- 
ing the  auspicious  moment  when  the  touch  of  the 


108  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

spirit,  like  the  rod  of  Moses,  should  awaken  into 
life  and  set  free  the  slumbering  waters  of  the 
awaiting  soul. 


THANKSGIVING 

/j|\UR  God,  to  thee  we  do  give  thanks  for  all  the 
Vii/  blessings  we  receive  and  for  this  opportun- 
ity of  social  greeting  which  is  a  mutual  pleasure 
for  which  we  have  much  reason  to  rejoice. 

Strangers  meet  through  circumstances  unex- 
pected though  by  thy  hand  made  possible,  as  are 
many  other  of  the  blessings  we  enjoy.  We  speak 
of  these  as  accidents  or  as  coincidences  in  the 
pathway  of  our  lives,  but  to  the  more  enlightened 
they  are  evidences  of  the  goodness  of  the  Over- 
Ruling  Power  who  has  a  constant  care  for  us  and 
for  all  the  products  of  both  earth  and  heaven. 

No  chance  circumstances  overtake  us  on  our 
way  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  nor  before  our 
entrance  to  this  transitory  home  on  earth,  and 
we  have  reason  every  day  to  thank  and  praise 
thee  our  Father  Jehovah  Jove  our  Lord.  And 
well  it  is  that,  amidst  the  worry  and  turmoil  of 
the  thoughtless  throng,  one  day  at  least,  in  all 
the  round  of  days  that  make  the  year,  be  set  apart 
for  thanks  and  praise  to  thee  our  Father  just  and 
true. 


THANKSGIVING  109 

That  in  our  nation's  thoughtfulness  one  day 
has  been  reserved  from  toil  and  thoughts  of  mater- 
ial gain,  with  the  privilege  for  all  to  bow  the 
head  in  love  and  praise  to  thee  and  for  us  to 
render  up  a  portion  of  our  indebtedness  by  con- 
sidering the  woes  and  wants  of  others.  One  day 
in  which  to  praise  and  pray  and  to  lift  up  the  souls 
of  the  less  fortunate  brothers  and  sisters  by  some 
kind  recognition,  by  a  smile,  a  warm  handshake 
or  a  word  of  comfort. 

We  know  that  thou.  Father  of  all  living  things, 
wouldst  have  all  the  family  blest,  and  these  bless- 
ings must  ofttimes  come  through  earthly  means 
as  one  child  can  help  another,  and  that  such  a  day 
as  this  might  last  forever  is  the  prayer  of  the  dear 
ones  here  assembled,  that  our  hearts  may  be 
warmed  to  deeds  of  kindness  and  to  words  of 
hope  for  all  we  meet  whether  of  kindred  ties  or 
such  as  the  world  calls  strangers.  All  have  a  hold 
upon  each  other  as  the  threads  that  make  the 
cloth.  One  must  hold  closely  to  the  other  if  we 
would  weave  the  tie  of  friendship  as  was  designed. 
One  isolated  thread  can  do  but  little,  still  it  has 
its  part  to  play  in  making  up  the  whole,  and  if 
severed  from  the  fabric  the  vacancy  will  show, 
and  harmony  is  ruptured,  which  should  not  be ; 
and  now  we  join  in  thanks  to  thee,  our  Father, 
God !  that  we,  this  little  group  of  loving  ones, 
have  in  our  wanderings  met  to  worship  and  adore 
thy  name  wherever  found,  and  to  thank  thee  that 


110  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

through  the  word  of  Christ  thy  Embassy,  thy 
Son,  we  may  look  to  thee,  knowing  that  we  may 
all  be  equally  blest  if  we  but  follow  His  precepts 
and  example  in  compliance  with  the  dictates  of 
thy  word,  "Love  ye  one  another,"  be  merciful  and 
kind,  forgive  and  repeat  forgiveness,  Jesus  said, 
not  only  seven  times  but  seventy  times  seven,  or 
as  we  may  infer,  times  without  end ;  and  now 
may  the  word  of  God  be  ever  in  mind  and  may 
peace  and  good  will  ever  extend  to  all  the  peoples 
of  earth,  and  may  we  so  live  as  to  merit  the 
blessings  of  God  our  Father  and  the  good  will  of 
not  only  our  neighbors  and  friends  but  of  the 
strangers  we  may  never  have  seen,  in  the  name 
of  the  Christ  our  Brother  and  Intercessor.   Amen. 


GOD  REIGNS 


ALWAYS  know  that  God  is  near  and  that  all 
that  is,  comes  from  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
the  universe  through  w'ays  and  means  provided 
for  the  intercommunicatioYi  of  the  Divine  with  the 
finite  beings  of  His  creation. 

The  Great  Architect  and  Builder  of  the  worlds 
of  life  and  beauty  and  usefulness  so  arranged  the 
plans  and  structure  that  all  of  His  tenants  are  in 


GOD    REIGNS  111 

direct  communication  with  the  Author  and  it  is 
only  as  the  way  is  closed  through  some  disobedi- 
ence of  His  laws  there  is  any  separation  between 
the  Father  and  His  family.  It  is  doubtless  His 
will  that  all  shall  partake  of  the  feast  He  so  bount- 
ifully prepared  and  that  all  may  come  to  Him 
as  children  to  their  parents  go,  for  food  and  shel- 
ter. So  may  all  the  children  of  earth,  with  the 
same  familiarity  and  freedom  seek  the  Lord  our 
Creator  for  wisdom,  comfort,  and  rest. 

It  is  the  prodigal  son,  the  reckless  and  regard- 
less, that  fail  to  realize  comfort  from  this  natural 
privilege  accorded  to  all.  The  warming  influence 
of  the  universal  Parent  is  not  recognized  by  the 
unfaithful,  the  unjust  and  wayward  of  earth.  Like 
unto  the  children  of  earthly  parents  who  disregard 
the  rules  of  the  household  and  declare  their  own 
independence  by  leaving  the  fostering  home  for  a 
wider  range  of  experience  may,  and  often  do,  feel 
alone  in  the  world  and  they  suffer  for  the  want  of 
parental  love  and  protection  and  thus  wilfully 
disconnect  themselves  from  the  natural  source  of 
rest,  comfort  and  joy  that  home  could  afford. 

And  thus  to  the  great  source  of  love,  light  and 
wisdom  the  children  of  earth  fail  to  look  for  those 
blessings  always  in  store,  and  truly,  "Oh,  Jerusa- 
lem, Jerusalem,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not." 


112  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

The  universe  is  the  great  household  of  the 
Maker,  with  all  the  wondrous  appointments  and 
blessings,  everything  and  in  abundance  for  man- 
kind and  the  brute  creation  ;  nothing  neglected, 
nothing  forgotten ;  food  and  shelter  for  the  ant 
and  the  sparrow,  for  the  bird,  and  to  the  highest 
form  of  human  intelligence. 

The  wonderful  sun  casts  all  his  glorious  bless- 
ings upon  the  air,  the  earth  and  the  sea.  No 
reason  could  formulate,  no  language  could  express 
the  importance  of  this  great  god  of  day ;  never  ex- 
hausted, never  weary,  always  ready  to  impart  to 
every  nation,  to  all  the  earth's  people,  to  flower 
and  tree  ;  the  mountains  are  overcast  by  his  warm- 
ing rays,  the  shimmering  ocean  laughs  beneath 
his  light ;  so  full  of  goodness,  so  richly  endowed 
are  we  with  everything  that  mortals  need  for  hap- 
piness and  joy.  The  singing  birds,  the  chirping 
insect  and  the  baser  tones  of  the  living  things 
form  a  universal  choir  of  never-ending  music,  with 
only  rest  between  to  emphasize  the  sounds. 

All  is  here  for  us  to  enjoy,  if  we  but  obey  the 
laws  so  framed,  that  we  may  learn  the  meaning 
and  the  importance  of  submission ;  for  violation 
means  an  adverse  course  in  opposition  to  the  har- 
mony and  the  welfare  of  the  world's  great  plan. 

Truth,  justice,  mercy  and  love,  these  are  the 
first  lessons  for  all  to  learn,  and  then  to  obey.  As 
the  stars  are  more  effulgent  when  the  sun's  rays 
are  lighting  other  parts  of  the  globe,  so  humanity 


GOD   REIGNS 


113 


should  be  aroused  to  the  exercise  of  these  exalted 
virtues  when  diverse  conditions  play  their  part. 

It  is  no  special  evidence  of  an  exalted  nature  to 
be  truthful  when  prompted  chiefly  by  personal  in- 
terest, nor  to  be  just  when  the  act  redounds  to 
our  own  good  fortune,  nor  to  be  merciful  for  the 
praise  of  beholders,  nor  to  love  when  all  is  lovely. 
Adverse  conditions  have  their  part  to  play ;  they 
are  as  fertilizers  to  the  sluggish  soul  that  would 
wither  under  continued  aspects  of  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. Energy,  life,  ambition  and  stern  de- 
termination should  take  the  place  of  languor,  neg- 
lect and  self-asserted  ease. 

There  should  be  no  weariness,  no  sickness,  no 
early  deaths;  all  these  come  from  strained  condi- 
tions, from  neglected  laws,  from  ignorance  and 
want  of  energy  to  do  or  to  leave  undone  what 
would  yield  the  greater  joy  and  serenity  of  happi- 
ness. A  satisfaction  far  superior  to  temporary 
pleasure  in  passing  an  idle  hour,  for  no  hours 
should  be  idly  spent  in  this  great  workshop  of  the 
world ;  and  work  should  be  a  pleasure  when  the 
results  are  good. 

Time  on  earth  is  brief  at  most,  and  while  mor- 
tals occupy  this  sphere  it  is  for  them  to  improve 
the  time,  not  alone  in  thought  and  labor  for  mer- 
cenary gain,  nor  to  widen  out  an  earthly  claim 
as  lord  of  acres  and  extended  fields. 

These  are  but  temporary  and  avarice-building 
schemes   that   retard   the    soul's    development   and 


114  THE    LOG^C    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

weaken  its  hold  on  the  better  side  of  life,  while 
to  know  our  mission  here  and  to  wisely  permit  our 
inner  selves  to  bud  and  blossom  and  to  yield  the 
everlasting  fruit  a  lifetime  here  alone  can  give, 
would  turn  this  earth  existence  to  a  never  ending 
profit  that  fire  could  never  destroy  nor  thieves  break 
tlirough  and  steal. 

The  riches  all  may  enjoy  are  safe  when  stored 
away  by  improving  the  time  of  life  ;  by  securing 
knowledge  from  every  source  and  then  applying 
it  for  the  good  of  others  and  not  alone  for  self; 
by  working  for  the  oppressed,  for  the  less  favored 
of  every  class ;  by  spreading  the  light  from  wis- 
dom's lamp  in  places  dark  and  sheltered  from  the 
glow  of  reason's  sun  and  from  a  knowledge  of  the 
Christ,  the  living  Star  of  Bethlehem. 

The  laws  of  justice  from  man  to  man  consist 
of  righteousness  in  all  his  ways.  To  honor  and 
obey  the  living  conscience  planted  in  the  soul ;  to 
deal  justly  with  old  and  young,  to  give  rather 
than  to  take  from  every  one ;  that  love  should  be 
enlarged  and  more  freely  spent  as  was  the  love  of 
Him  who  came  to  earth  full  of  kindness  and  sym- 
pathy, more  especially  for  the  feeble  and  op- 
pressed, to  help  the  lame  and  support  the  weak, 
whether  in  mind  or  body. 

Help  the  widows  and  support  the  young  whose 
lives  are  budding  for  the  future,  from  whom  great 
results  may  come  as  inventors  or  discoverers  of 
mysteries  yet  concealed. 


GOD   REIGNS 


115 


Treasure  every  life  from  conception  to  the  grave 
as  a  God-given  soul  within  which  gleams  the 
rudiment  of  light,  by  which  the  world  will  some- 
time be  illumined  to  the  enactment  of  greater 
deeds  for  the  advancement  of  the  race  and  from 
generation  to  generation  greater  things  may  come 
to  startle  and  astound  than  did  the  miracles  of 
Christ,  according  to  the  word  that  greater  than 
these  will  be  the  deeds  of  them  who  love  the  Lord. 
No  greater  evidence  can  be  presented  than  the 
works  of  such  as  serve  the  Lord,  in  obedience  to 
the  golden  rule,  knowing  that  God  is  ever  present, 
and  that  every  good  and  noble  thought  will  hold 
Him  still  more  near  while  unjust  conceptions  and 
maledictions  widen  the  space  between  the  Maker 
and  the  subject  and  the  greater  the  separation 
the  darker  life  will  be  and  the  more  depressed. 

Sorrows  will  deepen  and  darkness  will  be  over- 
cast, making  life  a  hollow  dream,  a  condition  un- 
coveted  and  undesired,  which  came  as  the  result 
of  perversion,  changing  day  into  night  and  drop- 
ping shadows  where  sunbeams  should  fall. 

All  is  reversed  through  want  of  knowledge  that 
God  reigns  and  that  man  must  yield  obedience  to 
His  laws  which  lead  to  the  light  of  everlasting 
day. 


MATERIALIZATION 

'l^rt'ATER  is  a  cleansing  element,  and  Nature  has 
-Wi*  provided  a  plentiful  flow  from  various 
sources,  and  air,  an  unseen  product,  is  required 
to  sustain  the  life  of  all  breathing  things,  even 
to  the  trees  and  plants. 

These  are  physical  necessities  and  the  soul 
of  man  in  common  with  the  higher  grades  of  the 
animal  kingdom  are  spiritually  sustained  through 
an  aura  of  spiritual  light  which  feeds  and  nour- 
ishes the  inner  self  of  both  man  and  beast. 

When  water  is  deficient,  or  air  excluded  from 
living  things,  whether  animal  or  vegetable,  both 
perish  for  the  want  of  them,  and  with  the  human 
species  and  the  more  developed  animals  there  is 
a  constant  demand  for  the  light  and  heat  of 
spiritual  vibrations. 

To  the  human  eye  air  is  invisible,  but  that  it 
does  exist,  is  manifest  through  chemical  analysis 
and  by  its  results  in  motion,  as  where  heat  has 
rarefied  a  given  portion  the  rush  of  wind  is  evi- 
dence of  an  amount  of  force  that  attends  such  a 
circumstance. 

That  atmospheric  air  is  essential  to  the  life  of 
plants  and  animals,  as  well  as  to  the  human  fam- 
ily is  made  apparent  by  the  efifect  of  its  exclusion. 

The  elements  which  compose  the  atmosphere 
assist  in  the  structure  of  living  bodies,  and  are 
conveyed  to  the  material  that  makes  them   up, 


MATERIALIZATION  117 

that  give  the  bodies  size  and  strength ;  without 
such  elements,  as  has  been  stated,  animated 
nature  would  perish. 

The  more  advanced  in  scientific  lore  have  dis- 
covered the  elements  in  unseen  air  that  can  be 
segregated  and  removed.  Oxygen  can  be  elim- 
inated, destroying  the  practical  use  of  air,  and 
nitrogen,  another  factor  serving  an  important 
part  in  reconstruction,  has  been  eliminated  as  a 
distinct  ingredient  and  a  trace  of  hydrogen  as  a 
component  part. 

When  these  elemental  substances  are  in  right 
proportion,  as  far  as  scientists  have  yet  made 
know^n,  air  can  fulfil  the  use  designed,  but  if  any 
one  of  these  composite  parts  should  be  reduced 
or  increased  beyond  the  normal  standard,  air 
would  fail  to  yield  the  necessary  results  to  either 
the  animal  kingdom  or  to  plants. 

It  is  possible  that  other  properties  exist  in  the 
surrounding  atmosphere  than  these  demonstrated 
elements  to  which  reference  is  made,  which  also 
hold  an  important  place  as  factors  in  the  recuper- 
ative process,  in  the  building  up  of  bodies.  The 
unseen  world  of  elemental  substances  transcend 
the  seen,  in  useful  unfoldment  of  material  struct- 
ures, all  of  which  elicit  but  little  thought,  because 
the  generous  production  indicates  a  natural 
growth,  so  common  that  it  evades  inquiry  or 
recognition. 


118  'ini",  LOGIC  or  a  lifr  time 

The  com]-)outid.s  that  are  formed  from  the 
unseen  and  unsuspected  elements  that  ride  upon 
the  waves  of  the  pulsating  seas  and  the  more 
ethereal  realms  of  the  atmosphere  are  potent 
beyond  expression  in  the  development  of  forms 
recognized  by  sight  and  touch,  such  as  vegeta- 
tion and  the  animal  structures,  as  well  as  the 
mortal  forms  of  the  human  species.  These  segre- 
gated, infinitesimal  particles,  unseen  and  as  yet 
unsuspected  which  might  be  better  comprehended 
as  vibrations,  may  do  more  to  aid  in  building 
structures  than  the  most  learned  have  yet  con- 
ceived, although  the  facts  are  in  daily  evidence 
when  we  witness  the  effects  of  recuperation  in 
the  enfeebled  form  of  man  or  beast  when  either 
are  submitted  to  the  freedom  of  outdoor  life,  with 
no  walls  of  brick  or  stone,  of  wood  or  clay. 

Vitality  under  such  circumstances  will  often 
manifest  a  sudden  rise,  flesh  will  increase  and 
general  strength  will  rapidly  return  during  this 
free  atmospheric  course  of  therapy.  It  would  not 
be  unreasonable  to  declare  according  to 
analogy  and  coexisting  results,  the  belief 
that  were  it  possible  through  any  mater- 
ial means  or  a  more  close  analysis  than  has  yet 
been  applied  and  perhaps  quite  beyond  the  possi- 
bility of  mortals  to  accomplish  because  the  facts 
lie  outside  and  beyond  the  powder  of  human 
research  or  physical  demonstration,  that  the  sur- 
rounding atmosphere  may  carry  on   its  lambent 


MATERIALIZATION  119 

wings  Other  unseen  and  unsuspected  freight  of 
active  body  building  elements  that  incarnate  with 
the  living,  throbbing  tissues  of  the  moving  creat- 
ures with  which  the  world  is  well  supplied  and 
which  may  reasonably  be  attributed  to  the  salub- 
rious atmosphere. 

If  the  above  proposition  can  be  supported,  and 
there  is  no  evidence  to  the  contrary,  when  this 
earth  life  ends  it  may  be  possible  that  other  laws 
may  be  recognized  as  peculiar  to  the  higher 
spheres.  Laws  exist  which  the  mind  of  mortals 
could  not  recognize  for  want  of  powxr  to 
transcend  earth's  domain  of  successful  research, 
but  theories  sometimes  lead  to  facts  and  it  may 
be  in  the  line  of  the  possible  that  a  disembodied 
soul  may  have  access  to  laws  and  forces  in  his 
new  condition  and  unencumbered  environments, 
whereby  from  the  immensity  of  elements  that  can 
not  be  lost,  but  that  are  ever  existing  and  ever 
accumulating  in  the  atmospheric  sea,  cast  off 
from  the  ever  changing  forms  of  animal  and  vege- 
table life,  the  unencumbered  spirit  might  attract 
and  condense  each  element  fitted  to  combine  and 
thereby  construct  a  form  visible  to  mortal  eyes 
wherein  he  might  for  a  limited  or  a  more  extended 
time  reside  as  in  a  garment  suited  to  every  part, 
and  thus  make  himself  manifest  as  a  bodily 
equipped  messenger  of  love  from  the  spirit  side  of 
life,  whose  joy  might  be  to  reveal  such  facts  to 
dear  ones  still  here;  or  it  might  be  the  recon- 


120  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

structccl  form  of  a  stranger  from  the  gates  of 
paradise. 

Such  phenomena  might  harmonize  with  much 
we  read  of  in  scriptural  times.  The  two  angels 
that  came  to  the  vision  of  Abraham  as  he  sat 
at  his  tent  door,  and  so  real  were  these  personages 
that  food  was  ordered  for  their  repast;  and  the 
two  angels  of  light  that  appeared  upon  the  moun- 
tain of  transfiguration  in  the  presence  of  Jesus 
and  his  attendants,  and  many  confirmations  are 
there  recorded  of  the  return  to  earth  of  disem- 
bodied spirits  robed  as  in  their  mortal  flesh. 

To  be  able  to  attract  and  then  suddenly  to 
scatter  the  elements  upon  the  wind  may  be  a 
prerogative  that  mortals  may  not  attain,  however 
progressed  their  souls  may  be,  but  which  can  be 
accomplished  through  an  existing  law  to  be 
applied  in  the  future  state,  with  all  the  ease  and 
grace  that  mortals  here  may  robe  and  disrobe 
themselves  at  will. 

Finite  mortals  need  not  proclaim  against  what 
they  may  be  uninformed,  it  would  be  an  evidence 
of  the  necessity  for  toleration  when  pronounced 
objections  are  proclaimed  in  regard  to  what  at  the 
present  time  cannot  be  more  than  theory,  to 
beings  yet  environed  by  flesh  and  blood,  but  to 
the  translated  stand  as  verities,  as  known  truths. 

That  plants  and  trees  do  grow  from  seeds  and 
bulbs,  from  the  elements  which  ascend  from  root 
to  branch  is  accepted  as  a  law  essential  to  plant 


MATERIALIZATION  121 

development,  also  that  through  the  porous  struct- 
ure of  the  leaves  and  bark  or  the  outer  sheath  of 
stalks,  that  material  is  absorbed  and  aids  in  the 
perfection  of  both  plant  and  fruit,  and  yet  no  evi- 
dence is  given  that  such  material  has  been 
removed  from  the  earth  in  making  up  the  tower- 
ing tree  with  all  its  leaves,  its  bloom  and  often 
its  delicious  fruit. 

Although  the  tree  may  rise  to  thirty  feet  or 
more  and  branches  form  a  living  tent  where  ani- 
mals and  men  may  shelter  from  the  storm,  or 
from  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun.  no  vacancy  is  dis- 
covered at  the  root,  the  earth  lies  undisturbed  and 
is  not  lowered  as  the  tree  unfolds ;  not  a  grain  of 
sand  removed  through  all  of  this  mysterious 
growth,  this  materialization  of  vegetable  sub- 
stance ;  and  by  a  study  of  the  laws  of  accumula- 
tion and  exhalation  in  the  kingdom  of  forestry, 
the  case  may  be  accelerated  or  retarded  in  accord- 
ance with  the  fixed  laws  for  growth. 

For  encouraging  the  forces  to  hasten  the  growth, 
the  soil  must  be  freighted  with  life-sustain- 
ing elements,  there  must  be  moisture,  sun- 
light and  air ;  these  are  required  conditions  for 
growth,  but  if  these  are  ignored  and  counter  con- 
ditions prevail,  opposite  results  are  expected,  the 
tree  will  bear  no  fruit  and  a  general  decline  will 
follow  until  every  vestige  of  life  becomes  extinct, 
and  similar  results  w^ould  naturally  attend  an 
adverse  attempt  to  materialize  a  human  form  or 


122  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

the  semblance  of  such,  through  laws  unknown 
to  earth's  inhabitants,  but  when  the  adjustments 
by  the  angelic  world  prescribed,  such  as  silent 
waiting,  a  shaded  room,  harmonious  minds  as- 
sembled, melodious  tones  from  instrument  or 
human  voices,  quiet  and  repose  that  from  the 
associated  group  emanations  may  proceed  to  in- 
crease and  condense,  which  a  brilliant  light  would 
diaperse  and  fail  to  yield  a  form. 

A  quiet,  settled  mind  does  much  to  qualify  the 
process  of  concentrating  the  unseen  elements  or 
forces,  or  perhaps  more  correctly  expressed,  of 
controlling  the  vibrations  whereby  a  form  may  be 
condensed,  bearing  all  the  lineaments  of  the  per- 
sonated soul  who,  with  power  of  will  and  spiritual 
intelligence  may  w^alk  forth  as  a  living  being,  with 
features  and  expression  to  prove  the  identity  of 
a  loved  one  who  may  have  long  since  been  laid 
away  and  until  now  almost  forgotten,  through  the 
busy  whirl  of  this  life's  necessity ;  but  now  the  old 
familiar  smile,  those  loving  w^ords,  that  gentle  but 
old  time  speech  bring  back  to  mind  all  the  cher- 
ished characteristics  of  the  loved  one  not  dead, 
but  living  to  a  higher  degree;  an  existence  wdiere 
the  soul  is  free,  where  migration  depends  on  will, 
where  distance  may  be  scaled  by  a  deep  desire, 
where  memory  holds  her  seat,  where  love  is  sifted 
out  from  jealousy  and  harmony  is  maintained, 
w^hich  is  an  important  factor  towards  the  soul's 
progression,  a  condition  to  which  mankind  may 


THE    LAW    OF    REDEMPTION  .  123 

look  with  hope  and  joy,  to  that  heaven  within  the 
reach  of  all  who  so  live  on  earth  as  to  win  in  the 
prize  by  a  wholesome  conscientious  obedience  to 
the  law  "Do  ye  unto  others  as  you  would  have 
others  do  to  you,"  the  fulfillment  of  which  will 
lead  to  the  future,  with  no  dread  of  suffering,  no 
impediment  of  flight  towards  still  more  exalted 
spheres  as  superior  to  this  of  earth  as  is  the  fruit 
of  the  tree  to  the  bark  or  root,  but  only  to  be  ex- 
perienced after  the  more  ethereal  birth  which 
serves  as  a  gateway  to  the  Eternal. 


® 


THE  LAW  OF  REDEMPTION 

Ij  HE  sands  of  life  run  low  to  those  who  live 
teT  for  earth-existence  only,  but  to  them  who 
look  beyond  to  life  eternal,  the  sands  ascend  and 
existence  takes  a  dififerent  aspect.  The  future, 
though  far  away,  is  but  the  coming  of  another 
day,  for  time  is  not  considered  in  the  spheres  be- 
yond the  earth's  domain. 

Years  are  not  numbered,  weeks,  nor  days ;  it  is 
by  deeds,  by  thoughts,  by  aspirations  and  by  the 
worth  of  life  that  time  is  chronicled.  To  one 
time  seems  prolonged,  while  to  another  it  is  but 
brief,   so   much   is   accomplished   that   helps   the 


124  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

world  below  and  worlds  beyond,  for  spirit  is  not 
idle ;  earth  is  a  field  of  loving  work  and  the 
spheres  above  require  the  cementing  influence 
from  the  plane  below ;  like  the  w^oven  cloth,  each 
straw  or  thread  connects  another;  however  wide 
or  long  the  cloth  may  be ;  the  first  thread  has  its 
use  in  holding  others  in  their  place  and  if  the 
cloth  surrounds  a  sphere  and  the  sphere  revolves 
each  thread  throughout  the  fabric  holds  an  equal 
place;  sometimes  one  thread  lies  below,  again  it 
lies  above,  as  round  and  round  the  ball  revolves, 
whether  it  be  great  or  small,  and  each  and  every 
thread  goes  through  the  circuit  and  all  are  equal 
to  the  others.  And  so  it  is  with  the  ever-revolving 
spirits  of  earth  and  heaven,  and  at  every  revolu- 
tion the  sphere  expands,  admitting  other  spirits 
and  other  bands,  both  on  the  inside  and  the  out- 
side of  the  sphere.  There  is  a  change  from  one  to 
the  other,  for  the  sphere  is  not  a  compact  sub- 
stance but  an  ethereal  space  and  in  and  out  and 
up  and  down  the  entities  proceed  as  the  conditions 
will  allow,  as  the  desire  may  prompt  and  as  the 
unfoldment   will   sustain. 

In  the  world  of  spirit  there  is  no  degree  fixed 
and  established  for  an  entity  to  inhabit,  or  to 
accept  as  his  or  her  particular  position,  but  the 
revolutionary  scheme  allows  all  to  participate 
in  the  course,  according  to  the  ability  to  rise  or 
fall.  In  some  respects  one  spirit  or  a  band  of 
assorted   souls  may  pass  to  a  state  of  light  to 


THE    LAW    OF    REDEMPTION  125 

which  their  natures  are  attracted,  but  in  all  re- 
spects they  may  not  all  be  equal  to  the  ascension, 
therefore  they  will  naturally  tend  to  the  place  for 
which  they  are  best  fitted,  to  temporarily  abide, 
until  more  light  in  that  direction  allows  the  in- 
termingling of  the  same  to  positions  heretofore 
by  them  unoccupied. 

As  an  illustration,  all  spirits  are  not  the  same, 
any  more  than  is  there  a  sameness  among  the 
inhabitants  of  earth.  Those  who  are  exalted  in 
some  respects  may  be  deficient  in  some  others ; 
those  who  may  be  luminous  in  many  phases  of 
unfoldment  may  be  weak  in  others.  Music  may  be 
an  almost  unknown  qualification,  so  when  in  the 
onward  flight  with  congenial  souls  in  one  direction, 
if  those  souls  do  not  harmonize  on  the  music 
plane  there  will  be  a  separation  when  that  plane 
is  reached  and  while  the  melody  of  notes  attracts 
a  large  number  of  entities,  others  leave  the  music 
sphere  for  that  of  art  or  philosophy,  or  some  other 
plane ;  and  others  fall  into  the  place  made  vacant 
and  no  discord  or  deficiencies  are  felt,  but  in  time 
all  of  the  innate  faculties  and  aspirations  will  be 
unfolded  until  the  spirit  becomes  so  rounded  and 
so  perfected  that  any  sphere  becomes  appropriate 
for  all  who  permit  themselves  to  look  ahead  in- 
stead of  backward  in  their  flight. 

The  superstitious  belief  of  generations  past 
provided  that  one  class  of  spirits  were  doomed  to 
everlasting  punishment  by  non-consuming  flames, 


126  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

and  that  another  arose  direct  to  God  who  sat 
upon  His  throne  holding  in  His  mystic  hand  the 
wand  of  separation,  bidding"  some  to  rise  trium- 
phant to  join  Him  as  His  right-hand  helpers 
and  companions,  while  others  were  doomed  to 
everlasting  suffering  lost  from  the  sight  of  the 
Redeemer  through  their  misdeeds  and  an 
erroneous  conception  of  what  would  make  them 
happy. 

This  doctrine  was  based  on  man's  assumption 
that  the  God  of  the  universe,  the  Father  of  every 
nation  and  of  all  the  worlds  suspended  in  the 
realm  of  ether  possessed  no  higher  conceptions 
than  one  man  attributes  to  another.  Man's  ideas 
of  heaven  were  as  absurd  and  as  erroneously  con- 
tracted as  his  ideas  of  reward  for  justice  and  pun- 
ishment for  his  delinquent  brother. 

At  the  time  rewards  and  punishments  were  first 
ordained,  they  were  in  accordance  with  man's  con- 
tracted views,  based  upon  the  brute  or  animal 
plane,  for  the  want  of  intellectual  expansion,  but 
gradually  as  man  developed  from  the  physical 
to  the  spiritual,  from  the  lower  to  the  higher  grade 
of  life,  more  rational  conceptions  of  justice  were 
entertained  than  that  the  so-called  Jehovah  sat 
in  stern  authority  upon  the  throne  of  gold,  an 
austere,  cruel,  domineering  Deity,  an  autocratic 
ruler,  with  drawn  lines  for  one  class  that  reaches 
his  standard  for  man's  salvation,  while  the  other 
who  had    not   yet   gravitated   to  the   line   of  his 


THE    LAW    OF    REDEMPTION  127 

demarkation  was  shut  out  from  his  mighty  pres- 
ence through  all  time  to  come,  but  that  He  is 
now  changed  to  a  God  of  love,  mercy  and  forgive- 
ness, a  Father  over  all  living  entities  whether  in- 
sect, animal,  or  the  human  family ;  He  is  Super- 
visor over  his  entire  domain,  and  is  conscious  of 
the  universe  and  of  the  varied  and  many  times 
adverse  conditions  attending  human  existence 
from  conception  to  the  grave. 

The  increasing  desire  for  more,  to  accumulate 
above  the  natural  wants,  develops  into  a  love  for 
earthly  things  beyond  all  reason,  even  to  greed 
that  leads  to  dishonesty.  Avarice  develops,  jeal- 
ousy unfolds,  and  hatred  buds  into  a  flaming 
sword  defying  all  aggression  or  opposition  to  the 
rapidly  developing  passions  of  the  human  mind, 
all  of  which  are  held  encased  in  the  organism 
and  are  important  factors  in  the  establishment 
of  the  developing  forces  under  the  law  of  gener- 
dtion. 

We  know  that  the  innocent,  unconscious  spark 
of  life  entering  upon  the  plane  of  individualism 
has  no  power,  no  knowledge  for  self-protection 
from  the  evil  results  of  such  an  origin ;  that  the 
physical  and  mental  organizations  must  unfold 
as  they  are  conceived  and  involuntarily  nurtured, 
whether  the  conditions  are  or  are  not  favorable  to 
the  desired  grade,  and  that  environment,  example 
and  tradition  with  untoward  training  must  to  a 
great  degree  control  mankind. 


128  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Human  thoug-ht  and  action  being  subject  to 
unfavorable  impressions  must  necessarily  yield  to 
the  irresistible  molding  of  such  adverse  condi- 
tions, and  the  victims  of  such  an  experience  must 
be  redeemed,  instead  of  punished  for  being  in  a 
condition  from  which  they  had  no  power  to  extri- 
cate their  bodies  or  their  souls. 

A  God  of  vengeance  He  would  be  to  close  the 
doors  of  His  mighty  mansion  and  turn  His  face 
av^ay  from  all  the  unfortunate  ones  who  would 
have  been  born  as  angels  of  purity  and  light,  had 
conditions  over  which  they  had  no  control  been 
favorable  in  the  development  of  such  natures. 

The  tendencies  of  life,  whether  for  good  or  for 
evil,  are  started  at  the  time  of  conception  and  are 
then  nurtured  and  built  up  day  by  day  according 
to  the  life  of  the  parents  and  even  back  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generation  the  unfavorable  links 
are  connected,  and  then  at  the  end  of  such  unfor- 
tunate lives,  however  evil  the  thoughts  or  unkind 
or  wicked  the  natures,  a  merciful  God  in  His 
wisdom  and  love  would  have  for  the  future  some 
plans  of  deliverance,  and  through  His  inscruta- 
ble laws  beyond  all  contradiction,  all  finite  decis- 
ions and  consistent  with  His  perfect  love,  su- 
premely divine,  there  is,  there  must  be  a  self- 
imposed  retribution,  and  by  the  process  of  evolu- 
tion all  will  be  duly  delivered  and  will  be- 
come subject  to  the  purifying  rays  of  the  un- 
obstructed    sun     of     grace,     purity     and     wis- 


CHRIST    THE    TEACHER   AND   EXAMPLE 


129 


dom.  And  the  darkest  and  most  wanton  souls 
of  earth  will,  as  the  great  wheel  of  justice  and 
mercy  revolves,  be  brought  to  a  knowledge  of 
what  wrong-doing  is,  and  will,  in  time,  be  illumi- 
nated by  the  light  of  reason  and  by  the  fullness 
of  love,  eventually  to  become  as  co-workers  with 
Christ  for  the  elevation  of  humanity,  all  to  the 
glory  of  God. 


CHRIST  THE  TEACHER  AND  EXAMPLE 

^HAT  Christ  should  reign  today  is  as  neces- 
w  sary  for  the  welfare  of  the  world  as  it  was 
in  the  centuries  past  and  all  through  the  great 
lapse  of  time  from  then  until  now.  The  star  of 
righteousness  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago 
v^^as  promised  and  it  arose  to  remain  in  evidence 
of  the  Christ  principle  required.  Since  the  world's 
inception  and  through  the  evolution  of  laws  and 
condensation  of  the  elemental  substances,  the  con- 
crete form  of  man  was,  through  the  natural  law, 
projected  to  the  perception  and  recognition  of  the 
world's  people  as  the  personation  of  God  or  Good- 
ness. 

The  human  mind  must  have  tangible  evidence 
of  a  pronounced  problem  or  asserted  fact  and  this 
necessity  for  ocular  demonstration  does  not  arise 


130  Tilt;    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

from  any  unusual  mental  unfoldment,  but  on  the 
contrary  this  demand  for  the  personal  contact,  or 
recognition  through  the  animal  senses,  is  a  sub- 
stitute for  spiritual  perception,  and  is  a  lower 
form  of  evidence  to  established  belief,  while  to 
the  spiritually  unfolded  the  same  principles  or 
laws  of  the  higher  development  for  mankind  are 
recognized  as  spirit  growth,  in  all  of  the  phases 
pertaining  to  truth,  justice,  mercy  and  unchange- 
able goodness.  To  such  no  material  form  is  nec- 
essary, but  to  the  contrary  it  rather  detracts  from 
the  glory  of  Godliness. 

In  the  course  of  the  world's  development  an 
example  might  be  given  in  the  growth  and  fra- 
grance of  the  rose.  During  the  early  stages  the 
elements  are  concentrating  from  earth,  water  and 
air  to  form  the  root,  stalk,  branches  and  leaves. 
No  amount  of  argument  would  convince  the  un- 
derstanding until  an  ocular  demonstration  was 
evolved,  that  a  beautiful  flower  would  eventually 
expand  upon  the  end  of  each  branch  with  color 
to  equal  if  not  excel  the  varied  hues  of  the  rain- 
bow that  arches  the  heavens ;  and  that  a  perfume 
would  be  exhaled  from  the  rose's  bright  center 
that  would  surpass  the  most  fertile  imagination; 
that  it  would  not  only  cheer  and  awaken  admira- 
tion but  that  it  could  be  condensed  and  utilized 
for  the  health  and  comfort  of  nations.  Such  a 
conception  could  not  be  entertained  by  the  stolid 
intellect   of   man    until    a    demonstration    of   the 


CHRIST   THE   TEACHER   AND   EXAMPLE  131 

actual  flower  with  its  wonderful  unseen  essence 
poured  out  upon  the  air,  was  recognized  by  his 
senses  of  sight  and  smell. 

So  with  the  Spirit  of  God.  Although  every- 
where to  be  found,  not  a  tree  top  nor  a  niche  in 
the  rock  but  the  power  of  God  is  instinct.  In  the 
leaves  and  the  root,  the  branches  and  the  flowers 
there  are  divine  forces  at  work,  and  it  is  the 
same  in  every  insect  and  bird,  with  every  moving 
creature  on  the  land  or  in  the  sea,  in  common  with 
man  who  is  the  most  resisting  and  incorrigible 
production  from  His  prolific  hand,  who  could  not 
be  made  to  recognize  the  laws  of  justice,  the 
mercy  and  goodness  of  God  until  the  flower  of 
the  human  race  could  be  condensed  into  the  form 
of  One  of  their  own  kind,  a  form  to  be  seen,  to 
be  touched,  to  be  as  one  with  them,  with  features 
of  human  design,  with  hands  and  feet  and  all  the 
formation  given  to  each  and  all  of  the  human 
race,  with  beauty  and  symmetry,  with  grace  and 
comeliness  of  form  which  could  be  made  apparent 
as  an  unmistakable  entity,  differing  only  in  His 
great  flow  of  universal  love,  with  unspeakable 
kindness  to  the  entire  human  family ;  in  virtue  and 
honor,  in  wisdom  and  truth  a  personation  of 
Deity,  whose  love  is  unbounded,  whose  justice 
is  unceasing,  whose  forgiveness  is  endless  and 
whose  compassion  extends  to  all  nations  and 
peoples,  not  only  of  earth,  but  of  all  the  worlds 
of  the  great  universe.     This  is  the  God  principle 


ii^  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIKE    TIME 

incarnate;  to  walk  before  men,  to  dwell  in  their 
midst,  to  fraternize  with  the  sinner  as  well  as 
with  the  saint,  to  teach  by  example  and  awaken 
by  precept,  not  claiming  more  than  others  might 
gain  by  looking  beyond  and  above  earth's  tem- 
poral pleasures  and  profits  to  a  higher  position 
as  teachers  of  men,  as  advisors  of  women,  as 
care-takers  and  friends  of  dear  little  children. 

From  time  to  time  there  had  been  wise  men 
and  good  men  who  peopled  the  earth  before  the 
coining  of  the  Star  of  Bethlehem.  From  time 
immemorial  such  evidences  of  power  in  minor 
degree  had  partially  supplemented  this  need  in 
the  personages  of  Buddha,  Brahma,  Zoroaster, 
Socrates,  Confucius,  and  others  of  rare  talent  and 
spiritual  greatness. 

In  all  such  instances  the  Infinite  was  duly  pre- 
sented in  accordance  with  the  fitness  of  the  organ- 
ization, while  in  the  "Son  of  Man"  known  as 
Jesus  the  Christ,  a  fullness  of  the  Godhead  gave 
a  more  emphatic  expression,  a  more  definite 
stamp,  with  a  more  soul-inspiring  effect.  Though 
born  in  humble  quarters,  where  animals  had  feast- 
ed or  fasted,  the  Child  of  destiny  assumed  en- 
trance to  this  world  from  a  childlike  mother  of 
spotless  purity.  As  an  infant  in  that  far-oiT  land 
of  promise  He  came  to  the  world's  people,  but  to 
Him  childhood  was  but  a  brief  period,  when  at 
the  tender  age  of  twelve  He  was  associated  with 
the   law   makers  and   doctors  in   the  temples  of 


CHRIST    THE    TEACHER    AND    EXAMPLE  133 

learning  and  early  commenced  His  ordained 
duties  in  obedience  to  the  dictates  of  His  Heav- 
enly Father. 

These  early  teachings  of  Christ  were  pro- 
nounced as  genuine  gospels  from  the  fountain  of 
wisdom  and  love,  and  were  graciously  accepted 
as  the  words  of  Jehovah  through  the  form  of  H's 
spiritual  Son,  who  was  acknowledged  as  superior 
to  all  preceding  teachers,  however  endowed  by 
the  wisdom  of  God. 

Although  opposition  existed,  Jesus  the  Christ 
was  worshiped  by  many  as  the  promised  Savior 
of  wayward  mankind,  whose  example  and  teach- 
ings had  not  been  excelled  by  any  of  the  saints 
or  philosophers  of  historic  renown. 

So  marvelous  and  superhuman  were  His  words 
and  His  works  that  He  startled  the  wise  men  of 
the  East  in  the  fear  of  His  promise  to  reign  as 
the  King  of  the  Jews. 

And  after  His  fame  became  world-wide  and  pro- 
nounced He,  the  man  Jesus,  was  betrayed  by  his 
own  people,  captured  and  maligned,  tortured  and 
spat  upon  by  the  envious  populace  who  urged 
his  removal,  and  at  length  his  mortal  form  was 
raised  to  the  arms  of  the  cross  and  there  nailed 
between  the  forms  of  two  thieves. 

He  was  mocked  and  jeered,  was  smitten  and 
taunted  and  forced  to  accept  the  wormwood  and 
gall  from  the  hands  of  the  idle  spectators  and 
there  left  to  die.    But  it  was  only  the  mortal,  the 


134  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

earthly  part  that  gave  way.  The  spirit,  the  living 
God  heretofore  indwelling  was  made  free,  with 
the  liberty  of  a  universal  range.  The  spiritual 
body  gained  greater  freedom  than  could  be  se- 
cured while  an  indwelling  entity  of  a  corporeal 
form. 

During  the  material  existence  of  Jesus,  much 
had  been  promised  for  His  disciples  and  their  con- 
verts. The  wonders  He  performcfl  in  the  majesty 
of  the  Divine  were  vouchsafed  to  earth's  inhab- 
itants if  they  would  but  accept  the  truths  that 
were  by  Himself  earnestly  and  tirelessly  pro- 
claimed. 

If  man  would  but  trust  in  the  Father  and  seek 
to  "do  unto  others  as  he  would  have  others  do 
unto  him,"  if  confidence  and  faith  in  the  Creator 
of  all  could  become  thoroughly  established,  noth- 
ing would  be  impossible. 

The  walking  on  the  waters,  the  stilling  of  the 
w-aves  and  winds,  the  healing  of  the  sick,  the 
reanimation  of  the  dead,  the  casting  out  of  un- 
clean spirits,  and  the  uplifting  of  mankind  to  a 
conscientious  existence,  nevermore  to  fall,  could 
all  be  accomplished  if  the  mind  could  be  centered 
upon  the  All  in  All  as  a  guide  for  intelligence, 
wisdom  and  goodness. 

It  is  to  the  honor  and  praise  of  Him  who  came 
into  this  life  as  a  mediator,  an  example  and  teach- 
er, that  we,  in  all  Christendom,  who  cherish  the 
principles  taught  by  Him,  and  whose  name  we 


SUBSTA N TI AL    W EALT II 


135 


assume  as  Christians,  universally  commemorate 
the  twenty-fifth  day  of  December  in  praise  and 
gladness,  in  joy  and  love,  as  being  the  advent  of 
the  Savior  of  men  into  this  world,  who  accepted 
all  mankind  as  His  own  through  the  power  of 
the  Father,  the  Author  and  Supreme  Ruler  of  the 
universe,  of  whom  we  are  the  just  heirs,  and 
joint  heirs  with  His  immaculate  Son. 


SUBSTANTIAL  WEALTH 

fEARS  roll  by  and  accounts  are  taken  as  to 
what  the  past  year  in  its  lap  of  fullness 
brought,  and  as  to  what  has  been  removed  from 
the  garner  of  wealth,  and  as  to  whether  much  or 
little    remains. 

With  the  worldly  minded,  to  this  result  there  is 
much  attached.  But  in  the  annual  calculation  as 
to  what  had  been  gained  in  mental  improvement, 
in  spiritual  growth,  in  becoming  more  of  a  man 
or  woman,  these  most  essential  acquirements 
may  be  forgotten ;  yet  they  are  of  the  most  value 
as  to  the  permanent  wealth  the  past  year  has 
afforded. 

Life  on  earth  is  for  a  purpose  and  might  be 
compared  to  the  school  days  of  the  young,  as 
a  preparatory  stage  for  an  important  epoch  in  the 


136  TIIF    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

future,  when  they  rise  to  maturity  and  must  do 
battle  with  the  world.  Those  school  days  make 
ready  for  the  great  competition  that  awaits  an 
advent  into  the  world's  commercial  arena  and 
into  a  successful  social  position. 

Earth  life  is  not  a  mere  holiday,  an  idle  vaca- 
tion for  the  fortunate  possessor ;  it  is  the  time  for 
important  qualification,  to  be  likened  to  the  roots 
of  a  tree  as  the  support  of  the  body,  limbs  and 
branches  in  order  that  fruit  may  result.  Life  is 
not  merely  existence,  to  enjoy  the  daily  events 
that  arouse  the  heart  to  greater  cheer  and  awaken 
a  thrill  of  joy;  not  alone  to  appease  the  appetite 
and  to  respond  to  the  claims  of  the  various  senses, 
all  of  which  to  a  degree  are  essential,  but  more 
properly  belong  to  the  animal  plane,  to  which 
mankind  too  often  holds  an  unyielding  grip,  even 
until  the  mortal  ends  in  death. 

The  human  race  in  general  is  not  aware  of  the 
great  possibilities  in  store  for  all  who  live  in 
accordance  with  the  higher  laws,  involved  with 
the  lower.  In  the  superiority  of  man's  nature, 
his  more  varied  faculties  give  him  a  wider  scope 
for  action  than  the  brute  creation,  but  all  of  these 
anim.al  instincts,  to  a  degree,  are  necessary  for 
physical  maintenance,  and  to  the  higher  nature 
serve  as  fertilizers  for  the  soil  of  actual  life.  How- 
ever, to  live  with  no  higher  object  than  to  enjoy 
these  earthly  pleasures  would  be  to  claim  animal 
enjoyments  as  the  chief  object  worth  the  living, 


SUBSTANTIAL    WEALTH  137 

bringing  human  nature  down  to  a  level  with  the 
brute.  We  should,  therefore,  lift  the  soul  above, 
that  we  may  be  able  to  see  and  recognize  the 
two  conditions.  The  one  alone  appeals  to  the 
senses  and  carnal  propensities,  and  does  not,  to 
any  great  extent,  unfold  the  germ  of  actual  man- 
hood of  which  we  boast  as  being  of  a  higher 
grade  than  is  looked  for  in  the  brute  creation. 

The  human  race  delights  in  its  claim  to  a 
superiority  over  the  things  that  crawd  or  fly  or 
such  as  bow  their  heads  to  the  level  of  the  earth 
to  gather  food,  and  walk  with  four  members  in- 
stead of  tw'o.  We  of  the  human  kind  have  form 
and  shape  to  a  greater  advantage,  with  heads  of 
different  mold,  with  more  gray  matter  making 
up  the  brain,  which  is  a  proven  fact  essential  to 
intelligence,  whereby  man  has  the  mechanism  for 
thought  and  reason,  for  meditation  and  calcula- 
tion upon  not  only  the  minor  subjects  of  life,  but 
to  penetrate  into  the  more  obscure  problems. 

Alan  is  so  organized  that  he  can  feel  for  the 
w'oes  of  others  and  can  enter  into  a  fellowship  of 
sympathy  and  oneness  with  strangers  as  vvell  as 
wath  his  ov/n  friends  and  kindred.  He  can  apply 
his  reason  and  deduce  a  correct  inference  before 
the  cause  is  put  into  operation,  or  if  the  facts 
present  he  may,  through  a  process  of  reasoning, 
arrive  at  the  cause  of  results  although  hidden 
from  the  less  developed  minds. 


138  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Through  a  process  of  brain  action  man  may 
discern  the  different  intents,  motives  and  qualifi- 
cations of  individuals,  and,  through  his  mental 
aptitude  learn  the  laws  of  construction  as  well  as 
of  destruction  ;  why  some  are  weak  and  others 
are  strong,  why  some  are  timid  and  others  are 
brave,  why  some  can  analyze  and  foretell  results 
while  others  can  see  no  further  into  the  future 
than    present    events    indicate. 

The  human  type  is  subject  to  elaboration  of 
mind  and  physical  qualifications,  whose  possibil- 
ities are  hidden  from  his  own  perception,  and  it 
is  only  as  more  power  is  developed  through  his 
will  and  acquired  application  that  new  faculties 
are  manifested,  that  he  can  reckon  on  being  above 
the  higher  grade  of  animals.  But  upon  consider- 
ation he  will  discover  that,  although  the  master 
of  all  things  below,  he  the  inventor,  the  builder 
and  the  adjuster  of  means  to  an  end,  is  himself 
physically  but  a  living  mechanism,  subject  to 
injury  or  improvement  in  common  with  all  other 
mechanical  enigmas  that  may  be  applied  to  his 
convenience  in  the  world  of  art,  economics  and 
commercial  afifairs. 

In  the  construction  of  an  engine  for  locomotion, 
much  thought  and  time  is  given  to  speed,  strength 
and  endurance  of  the  various  parts,  and  to  all 
the  required  modifications  and  regulations  for 
increased  or  diminished  speed  and  safety;  so  in 
the  production  of  heat  and  light  from  the  differ- 


SUBSTANTIAL    WEALTH  139 

ent  sources,  through  his  genius  made  applicable 
to  the  various  purposes  required,  whether  to  re- 
move the  ripened  grain  from  the  field,  or  for  trans- 
portation  to  distant   parts. 

In  all  the  industries  and  mechanical  operations 
perfection  is  looked  for,  and  through  effort  can 
be  attained.  Step  by  step  the  object  is  gained 
through  the  consummation  of  time  and  persistent 
thought,  and  all  manner  of  conveniences  are  pro- 
jected from  the  toy-like  mouse  trap  to  the  suc- 
cessful construction  of  the  wondrous  aeroplane, 
all  of  which  is  a  repetition  of  undeniable  ability 
innate  in  man.  But  in  his  mighty  chase  for  all  he 
can  procure  through  the  many  inventions,  con- 
struction and  temporal  achievements  for  his  com- 
mercial gain,  his  physical  comfort  and  enjoyment, 
he  forgets  his  own  true  personality,  his  indwelling 
God-like  power  which  stands  amenable  to  encour- 
agement or  defeat  through  his  properly  trained 
and  safe  working  mechanical  organism  with  self- 
generating  power  which  is  susceptible  of  change 
to  a  greater  or  diminished  action.  Upon  its  de- 
gree of  perfection  the  health  and  endurance  of 
this  vitalized  machine  of  intelligence  and  wisdom 
depends,  an  instrument  of  unspeakable  worth  and 
susceptible  of  a  greater  range  of  ability  than  all 
the  non-vitalized  inanimate  constructions  that  can 
be  devised  by  the  most  ingenious  and  skillful  in- 
ventor, all  of  which  are  the  result  of  the  indwell- 
ing, innate  deific  power. 


140  TliF,    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Man  should  pause,  in  his  wild,  ambitious  career, 
to  reflect,  to  settle  his  thoughts  upon  himself  as 
to  what  he  is  and  how  he  is  constructed,  of  the 
delicate  tissues  that  are  so  wonderfully  knitted 
together  to  make  up  the  body  which  is  not  a  unit, 
but  a  complication  of  nicely  fitted  parts  composed 
of  varying  elements  gathered  together  into  defin- 
ite shape  and  proportions,  and  these  into  the 
structure  of  organs  like  the  well-regulated  mem- 
bers of  a  common  household,  or  the  various  parts 
that  form  an  intricate  piece  of  his  own  handiwork. 
All  of  these  organs  and  tissues  are  wonderfully 
adjusted,  depending  for  their  existence  and  exact 
working  pouter  upon  a  certain  coalescement  of 
elements  proportioned  and  adapted  to  their  spec- 
ial use  in  the  complex  economy  of  the  body,  and 
every  movement  to  which  he  is  subjected  either 
increases  or  diminishes  vitality.  Even  the  act  of 
breathing  is  accompanied  by  a  destruction  of 
tissues  and  a  disintegration  of  some  important 
factors  of  the  physical  domain,  but  simultaneous- 
ly under  favorable  conditions  there  is  a  perpetual 
reconstruction  of  the  much  needed  parts  when 
normal  health  obtains,  but  when  exhaustion  sup- 
ersedes the  renewal  a  downward  course  must  in- 
evitably follow  and  the  human  machinery  that 
might  have  continued  in  a  sound,  fair  working 
condition  begins  to  decline,  and  unless  it  is  well 
understood  and  the  laws  regulating  life  are  ap- 
plied to  increase  the  process  of  repair,  the  body 


SUBSTANTIAL    WEALTH  141 

that  might  have  been  preserved  a  much  longer 
time  for  soul  growth  on  earth  will  fail  in  its  use- 
fulness long  before  its  actual  prime. 

These  facts  are  patent  and  should  be  brought 
before  the  minds  of  all,  especially  to  the  under- 
standing of  the  young,  as  a  protection  to  the 
fortress  of  life ;  but,  in  truth  there  are  very  few 
who  sufficiently  appreciate  their  physical  bodies 
to  warrant  the  culture  and  care  they  would  ex- 
tend to  the  simplest  piece  of  machinery  or  art. 

In  many  w'ays  vital  laws  are  unconsciously  or 
consciously  transgressed,  if  not  completely  ig- 
nored, while  these  laws  should  be  among  the 
first  in  the  curriculum  of  studies. 

At  the  present  day  an  increasing  interest  is 
taken  in  athletics,  but  it  is  not  the  muscular  sys- 
tem alone  that  develops  under  use,  nor  is  this  the 
only  part  to  be  encouraged  through  active  exer- 
cises, but  every  part  of  the  living  body  requires 
functioning  for  successful  development,  to  main- 
tain a  normal  predestined  longevity  accompanied 
by  ability.  And  no  less  the  normal  functions  of 
the  brain,  that  complex  and  wonderful  combina- 
tion of  parts  which  might  be  compared  to  a  finely 
tuned  musical  instrument  yielding  results  corre- 
sponding to  the  keys  under  manipulation,  a  mech- 
anism unequaled  by  any  other  part  of  the  living 
structure,  and  yet  perhaps  the  most  neglected 
of  the  entire  system.  It  is  a  concrete  accumula- 
tion of  minute  cells  that  evades  the  comprehen- 


142  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

sion  of  the  most  learned,  but  upon  which  we  de- 
pend for  all  intelligence,  for  all  thought,  all  emo- 
tion, for  discernment,  for  love  and  for  all  that 
man  is;  this  the  crowning  gift  from  the  Maker's 
hand  of  bounty,  without  which  all  the  remaining 
parts  would  be  like  a  palsied  mass  of  disconcerted 
substance  with  the  real  life  wanting. 

Upon  the  brain  of  man  or  beast  all  other  parts 
greatly  depend  for  healthy  activity,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  co-relations  are  so  complete  that 
the  structure  and  normal  functions  of  the  brain 
depend  upon  a  healthy  condition  of  other  parts 
for  continued  activity  and  intellectual  power. 

The  subject  of  mind,  soul  and  spirit  must  be 
left  to  a  separate  chapter  for  any  satisfactory  ex- 
planation or  anything  like  a  comprehensive  dis- 
sertation to  meet  the  wants  of  the  metaphysically 
inclined. 

The  passing  of  years,  chronologically  speaking, 
is  a  potent  reminder  that  all  sublunary  things  are 
subject  to  a  time  for  inception,  their  unfoldment 
and  their  decay,  and  any  change  from  the  natural 
procedure  of  growth,  from  the  ivy  on  the  wall  to 
the  complex  brain  of  man,  will  either  improve 
or  be  frustrated  in  the  development.  Through 
the  circumstances  of  life  one  mistake  or  failure 
during  these  annual  and  diurnal  revolutions  may 
change  the  whole  career  of  either  tree,  vine  or 
man. 


SUBSTANTIAL    WEALTH  143 

In  the  construction  of  the  infant  hand,  or  the 
building  of  a  ship  by  the  trained  skill  of  manhood, 
there  must  be  intelligence  to  guide.  There  must 
be  a  balance  and  a  co-adaptation  of  the  various 
parts  or  a  wreck  would  be  sustained.  Similar 
adverse  results  would  follow  an  injudicious  at- 
tempt in  the  evolution  of  the  simplest  piece  of 
machinery,  and  mankind  stands  prominently 
above  the  level  of  all  growths  whether  the  result 
of  art  or  nature. 

At  conception  the  causes  are  at  work  for  good 
or  for  evil  and  all  the  way  through  the  ante- 
natal development  is  the  nature  of  the  coming 
entity  being  shaped  and  moulded  by  the  circum- 
stances overruling  its  expansion  and  advent  to 
the  scenes  and  vicissitudes  of  life. 

Every  cycle  of  time,  whether  it  be  a  year,  a 
month  or  a  day,  brings  changes  to  the  unfolding 
bud  from  infancy  up  to  the  fully  unfolded  organ- 
ization, and  under  favorable  conditions  the  result 
will  be  like  the  perfume  of  a  new  flower,  or  a 
fresh  light  to  reason,  a  breath  of  advancement,  a 
help  onward  and  upward  toward  the  Cause  of  all 
things,  or  if  adverse  influences  predominate,  oppo- 
site effects  would  redound  perhaps  to  its  utter 
destruction.  Events  that  sometimes  appear  to 
be  hindrances  and  impediments  to  the  upward 
may  only  prove  as  backward  steps  whereby  great- 
er speed  might  be  made  and  greater  momentum 
given. 


144  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

All  the  ordinary  experiences  which  we  encount- 
er but  lend  strength  of  purpose,  and  tend  to  the 
advancement  of  earth's  people.  With  God's  help 
we  should  usher  in  every  annual  cycle  with  thanks 
and  joy.  with  reverent  fear  lest  we  may  fail  to 
take  advantage  of  opportunities  as  they  present 
to  the  extent  their  great  help  might  afford  for 
the  advancement  of  physical,  mental  and  spiritual 
growth  through  all  time,  and  be  ripe  and  fitted 
for  the  greater  expansion  as  the  illumination  of 
a  higher  life  bursts  upon  our  continued  existence. 


HUMAN    REDEMPTION 

^tfARIED  are  the  types  of  men  as  are  the  plants 
X^  and  trees  and  no  offense  is  given  through  this 
difference  in  the  kingdom  of  vegetation.  Some 
yield  nourishment  for  animals  and  for  the  human 
race,  others  whose  juice  and  flavor  is  sought  at 
much  expense  merely  to  please  the  sense  of  smell 
and  taste ;  while  others  yield  a  poison  that  de- 
stroys life,  yet  God  permits  these  to  grow;  they 
have  their  use ;  and  thus  in  the  human  family. 

There  are  different  natures  and  varied  char- 
acters and  all  have  a  right  to  live ;  all  have  their 
rightful  origin  from  the  one  Source  and  all  are 
susceptible  of  change. 


HUMAN    REDEMPTION  145 

The  virulency  of  plants  may  be  reduced,  but 
the  human  race  is  more  amenable  to  the  laws  of 
improvement  than  any  living  thing  below  its 
grade.  What  scientists  have  done  for  plants  let 
them  do  for  man  and  a  redemption  of  the  human 
race  will  soon  be  in  evidence. 

To  change  a  poisonous  plant,  or  to  deprive  it  of 
thorns  and  pricks  the  scientific  or  rational  course 
would  not  -be  to  sever  the  stem  from  the  root,  not 
to  destroy  the  root  from  whence  it  draws  its  life, 
but  by  admixture  of  another  life  quite  free  from 
poison,  prick  or  thorn,  and  by  different  elements 
from  which  to  draw  its  nourishment,  a  change  is 
made,  and  at  no  very  distant  time  the  poison  is 
reduced,  the  pricks  and  thorns  are  lessened  in 
their  size  and  number,  and  those  who  once  passed 
it  by  as  a  menace,  fearing  to  approach  its  leaves 
or  fruit,  now  stand  near  -and  admire  the  great 
change  that  wisdom  and  culture  have  wrought 
upon  branch  and  root.  The  blossoms  now  are 
gathered  and  mingled  with  the  pink  and  rose,  the 
forget-me-not  and  violet ;  these  are  clustered  with 
the  once  obscure  and  noxious  growth  which  now 
adds  beauty  to  the  group,  and  so  it  may  be  with 
the  proper  culture  of  every  objectionable  living 
being. 

The  viper,  now  the  dread  of  man,  may  lose 
its  poison  sting  and  may  become  a  toy,  a  comrade 
for  the  child,  and  prove  a  panacea  when  illness 
assumes  the  place  of  health.     A  remedial  agent 


146  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

may  be  evolved  from  its  tortuous  form  through 
touch,  and  as  this  nov;'  hideous  crawling  thing  lies 
coiled  upon  your  infant's  breast  its  very  life  may 
pass  from  it  and  thereby  revive  the  child,  while 
in  exchange  the  poisonous  elements  of  disease  are 
being  absorbed  and  the  child  may  rise  and  walk, 
and  the  viper,  once  the  dread  of  man,  may  become 
his  valued  friend. 

And  so  with  other  grades  of  life  which  are  now 
a  source  of  dread  and  fear,  even  to  the  would-be 
brave,  until  their  use  is  better  known,  which 
through  a  process  of  cultivation  would  all  be 
found  to  hold  some  useful  place  as  friends  to  man. 

The  same  law  is  susceptible  of  application  to 
the  human  race  when  intelligent  culture  is  adopt- 
ed for  the  generation  and  growth  of  this  ever- 
varying  and  progressive  type  of  life,  which 
through  all  the  centuries  has  never  been  under- 
stood even  by  the  wisest  scientists,  the  seers  or 
prophets,  to  the  extent  of  making  a  practical  ap- 
plication of  the  ever-existing  law  which  would 
if  put  into  effect  do  more  towards  a  regeneration 
of  the  human  family  than  all  the  means  that  have 
so  far  been  used  for  man's  advancement  from  the 
lower  to  a  higher  place  in  this,  God's  great  uni- 
verse. 

To  try  to  change  the  ways  of  plants  and  trees 
when  they  are  fully  grown  would  be  a  useless 
task  and  one  not  to  be  crowned  by  much  success, 


HUMAN    REDEMPTION  147 

and  but  little  more  can  be  achieved  by  working 
with  the  matured  of  the  human  race. 

To  make  examples  of  a  few  of  the  unbalanced 
minds  of  the  human  family,  with  hope  of  helping 
others,  is  not  politic  nor  humane.  To  flay  the 
naked  flesh,  to  imprison,  to  demean  the  unfortun- 
ate convict,  whose  very  blood  is  poisoned  by  the 
thoughts  or  crimes  of  predecessors,  whose  whole 
being  vibrates  to  the  impress  of  conscious  or  un- 
conscious villainy,  whose  brain  cells  are  so  ar- 
ranged and  so  unfortunately  amassed  as  to  force 
the  culprit  into  evil  ways,  whose  blood  is  tinct- 
ured with  the  poison  germs  of  sin,  placed  therein 
before  his  birth,  whose  hands  are  shaped  for 
wrongdoing,  whose  eyes  are  dimmed  to  acts  of 
honest  dealing,  is  not  the  proper  training  to 
change  his  thoughts  and  will,  and  to  enclose  him 
in  a  narrow  cell  for  weeks,  for  months  and  years 
can  never  work  the  hoped-for  transformation. 

To  exist  in  semi-darkness  all  this  time,  to  mere- 
ly keep  the  form  alive  by  the  scanty  and  unsavory 
food  that  would  starve  the  less  unfortunate,  but 
perhaps  the  greater  sinner,  will  never  change  the 
nature  of  that  unasked-for  life,  that  existence 
given  him  without  order  or  request.  Then  to 
strike  another  dead  by  the  electric  shock,  or  by 
the  rope  suspended,  has  no  efifect  to  save  his  soul 
hereafter,  nor  to  improve  other  natures  here. 

Such  a  course  cannot  fortify  the  present  nor 
the  coming  man  upon  this  stage  of  action.   There 


148 


THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 


is  no  moral  to  be  taught  the  survivors  of  the 
victim  by  any  such  inhuman  acts  towards  a  most 
unfortunate  brother,  whose  very  form  and  quality 
of  brain  from  birth  to  manhood  has  leaned  to- 
wards the  abnormal  plane  of  sin  and  evil  doing. 
The  shape  of  head,  of  features,  and  an  existence 
for  which  he  never  bargained ;  had  no  part  nor 
parcel  in  his  origin ;  thrust  upon  the  world  as 
the  result  of  passion,  perhaps  without  intent,  and 
with  no  desire  upon  the  part  of  parents  that  he 
should  ever  live,  then  to  expect  of  him  a  similar 
course  in  life  to  one  who  was  born  under  more 
asupicious  circumstances  would  be  preposterous, 
and  as  inconsistent  and  as  impossible  as  for  a 
violin  to  yield  the  selfsame  music  as  the  organ 
or  guitar.  No  one  with  ordinary  understanding 
would  suggest,  no  court  of  justice  would  advise 
beating,  heating,  thrashing  and  crashing  of  the 
one  instrument  to  cause  it  to  bring  forth  similar 
tones  and  music  to  the  other.  Reconstruction 
would  be  the  verdict;  make  the  two  alike  if  you 
would  demand  a  similarity  of  sounds. 

When  it  comes  to  reclaiming  individual  mem- 
bers of  the  human  family,  much  tenderness  and 
sympathy  should  be  exercised;  more  gentleness 
and  care  than  in  the  modification  of  any  musical 
instrument  with  which  we  are  concerned,  even 
if  the  latter  should  be  made  of  the  finest  gold, 
embellished  on  every  side  by  diamonds  of  richest 
worth,  there  would  be  no  comparison  to  the  value 


HUMAN    REDEMPTION  149 

of  one  human  being  with  an  immortal  soul  which 
so  far  surpasses  in  value  all  things  else,  it  should 
be  the  first  and  last  and  greatest  hope  of  all  world- 
ly work  to  improve  his  opportunities  and  raise 
him  to  a  higher  state. 

The  betterment  of  the  human  race  depends 
upon  its  birth  and  culture.  The  proven  qualities 
of  parentage  should  be  secured,  upon  which  to 
build  the  superior  quality  of  body  and  brain. 

Human  elements  deteriorate  through  persistent 
reproduction  of  similar  natures.  The  admixture 
of  different  nations  and  different  peoples  will  cul- 
minate in  a  different  and  improved  quality  of 
blood 

The  repetition  of  elemental  transmission  from 
generation  to  generation,  will  neutralize  the  orig- 
inal quality  of  the  life-sustaining  fluid  and  leave 
the  tissues  in  a  weakened  state,  and  the  resisting 
power  of  the  brain  becomes  more  or  less  affected 
by  the  brain  cells  imbibing  elements  of  a  similar 
nature  while  a  commingling  of  natures  would 
bring  about  more  salutary  results  to  both  mind 
and  body ;  thus  both  individuals  and  nations  may 
assume  powers  and  activities  that  could  never 
obtain  under  the  old  ancestral  law  of  uniting  like 
with  like  until  a  race  consumes  itself  and  degen- 
eration is  the  result. 

Fertilization  is  just  as  essential  for  the  growth 
of  animal  tissues  and  for  the  quickening  of  the 
intellect  as  for  the  successful  growth  of  plants, 


ISO  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

and  not  until  these  laws  of  procreation  are  better 
understood  and  more  willingly  applied,  will  there 
be  a  more  decided,  more  self-respecting  and  a 
more  upward  tending  race  developed  on  this 
earth,  whereby  temptation  may  be  met  and  re- 
sisted, according  to  the  mental  strength  and  in- 
tegrity that  may  be  naturally  brought  to  bear, 
and  through  the  healthy  state  of  the  general  sys- 
tem vital  force  will  keep  the  human  machine  in 
time  and  tune  for  perhaps  a  hundred  years,  or  to 
a  more  extended  period. 

In  the  grafting  to  a  family  stock,  whether  plant 
or  man,  of  a  repeated  scion  from  the  same  old 
tree  there  can  be  no  new  elements  introduced,  no 
different  cells  formed  in  man  and  no  extra  charge 
of  strength  encouraged  than  can  arise  from  plant- 
ing corn  in  one  field  year  after  year  until  the 
crop  is  quite  endangered  from  the  consumption 
of  the  soil,  leaving  the  stalks  thin  and  pale  in 
color,  quite  dissimilar  from  the  first  year's  pro- 
duction. 

If  we  w^ould  build  up  men  and  women  to  be 
instruments  of  strength  and  sterling  w^orth,  with 
minds  to  grasp  and  to  evolve  the  richest  claim 
bestowed  upon  their  kind,  they  must  yield  to  the 
infallible  laws  that  govern  growth,  power  and 
activity,  as  willingly  as  would  be  employed  ice 
the  healthful  propagation  of  the  brute  creation. 

The  farmer  though  not  schooled  in  scientific 
lore,  for  a  prosperous  yield,  plants  corn,  grown  in 


HUMAN    REDEMPTION 


151 


other  fields  perhaps  fifty  miles  away,  or  he  may 
import  his  grain  for  planting  and  thereby  bring 
new  and  perhaps  superior  conditions  to  both  the 
crop  he  raises  and  to  the  earth  from  which  it 
came;  and  the  same  with  his  stock  of  animals  he 
hopes  to  improve;  he  searches  the  country  over 
for  the  best  cattle  from  which  to  generate.  If  it 
is  flesh  and  weight  he  wishes,  horns,  hoofs  or 
milk,  he  selects  the  type  to  associate  with  his 
flock,  and  the  stock  will  change.  In  the  same 
way  he  reasons  out  a  higher  grade  of  poultry  and 
of  swine;  while  his  sons  and  daughters,  if  such  he 
has,  are  the  result  of  thoughtless  if  not  sinful 
origin.  No  scientific  planning  as  to  what  should 
be  the  form  or  the  ability  of  brain  or  muscle. 

If  there  is  more  importance  attached  to  man 
than  brutes,  then  let  the  best  men  be  produced, 
and  if  woman  stands  in  strength  of  mind  and 
body,  in  symmetry  of  form,  in  keenness  of  per- 
ception and  nobility  of  character  above  the  hen 
or  goose,  then  why  not  apply  the  law  of  inheri- 
tance and  growth  to  her,  as  to  the  lower  grades 
of  life,  and  fill  the  world  with  noble  specimens 
of  the  human  kind  and  let  such  high  born  pro- 
ductions be  the  pride  and  ambition  of  every  na- 
tion, instead  of  calculating  entirely  upon  the  qual- 
ity and  quantity  of  corn,  the  length  of  stalk  and 
the  number  of  grains  upon  the  cob ;  upon  the  best 
family  of  sheep  and  the  probable  yield  of  wool; 
the  immense  amount  of  butter  from  some  super- 


152 


THE    LUGIC    OF    A    LIl-E    TIMli 


ior  type  of  cow,  but  to  the  pride  and  honor  of 
every  land,  let  the  best  quality  of  population  be 
the  aim,  the  actual  wealth,  the  admiration  and 
the  highest  ambition  of  the  human  race. 


CHARACTER   MAKING 

^i  F  education  early  acquired  was  of  the  forma- 
-21  tive  kind  and  could  be  achieved  in  a  given 
direction  with  reasons  why  made  clear,  great  re- 
sults might  be  attained,  and  it  would  be  recog- 
nized and  understood  from  whence  they  came ; 
but  the  desultory  mode  of  training  the  youth  un- 
dermines and  w^eakens  the  real  power  they  might 
possess.  Like  separate  currents  of  electricity  from 
one  condensed  fount  or  dynamo,  the  strength  and 
volume  are  lessened  when  flowing  on  numerous 
wires,  and  the  efifect  weakened.  No  one  current 
would  excel  another  in  its  force  or  its  power  of 
illumination.  So  with  the  working  of  the  human 
intellect. 

It  is  well  for  some  and  perhaps  for  the  majority 
to  be  intellectually  rounded  for  the  general  walks 
of  life.  In  truth,  with  many  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  accomplish  more  from  the  quality  and 
structure  of  the  mental  faculties,  but  for  a  spec- 
ialty, a  oneness  and  greatness  of  action  in  a  given 


CHARACTER    MAKING  153 

way  all  interest  must  naturally  concentrate  to 
develop  the  most  power  in  that  direction.  If 
mathematics  is  the  choice,  bring  all  the  mental 
forces  to  co-operate  and  to  work  for  that  end. 
If  geology  or  the  cosmic  sphere  becomes  the  cen- 
ter of  desire,  then  concentrate  upon  that  theme 
and  work  to  that  end,  and  do  not  permit  the  men- 
tal energy  to  be  divided  by  struggling  with  music, 
art  or  scientific  agriculture. 

An  evenly  rounded  intellect  is  of  practical  ap- 
plication in  many  ways,  but  such  can  never  reach 
out  to  a  degree  to  emphasize  a  special  character. 
One  need  not  lay  aside  all  other  subjects  and 
sacrifice  their  mental  ability  for  the  achievement 
of  the  one  selected,  as  of  paramount  importance. 
In  becoming  master  of  some  specialty  it  is  quite 
necessary  to  call  many  other  faculties  of  the  mind 
into  activity  as  aids  and  assistants  to  the  first, 
as  no  one  faculty  works  alone  to  the  entire  ex- 
clusion of  others. 

If  one  aims  to  be  a  master  of  mechanics,  it  is 
not  the  faculty  of  construction  alone  by  which 
he  gains  the  acme  of  his  aspiration ;  he  must  nec- 
essarily bring  into  action  the  faculties  of  form, 
size,  calculation,  memory,  order,  reason,  firmness, 
self-esteem,  combativeness,  destructiveness  and 
other  mental  forces  as  manifold  assistants  neces- 
sary to  aid  in  the  great  work  planned. 

Outside  agents  are  required  to  achieve  any 
great  success  in  whichever  direction  chosen,  but 


154  THIi    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

not  under  all  circumstances  are  the  same  faculties 
collectively  aroused.  So  one  need  not  abandon 
all  other  subjects  nor  become  a  monomaniac  or 
an  unbalanced  weight  upon  society  as  the  result 
of  dwarfing  many  faculties  in  the  persistent  effort 
to  succeed  in  the  desired  path. 

The  everyday  events  of  life  will  give  assurance 
that  all  must  put  in  play  the  various  keys  upon 
the  mental  board,  but  all  keys  do  not  have  to  be 
exercised  as  do  the  higher  notes  which  are  to 
sound  afar  and  thrill  the  hearts  of  listeners  as  no 
minor  keys  could  do.  These  lower  notes  are 
merely  opposites,  breaks  given  for  contrast  to 
the  major  key  to  maintain  the  symphony  of 
sounds.     So  should  man's  education  be. 

The  astronomer  should  spend  his  life  dealing 
with  the  stars,  the  planets,  sun  and  moon,  and 
their  effects  on  earth. 

The  captain  of  a  ship  has  much  to  do  to  make 
his  work  efficient,  and  he  cannot  leave  his  special 
post  to  entertain  the  passengers  or  to  help  the 
crew.  There  are  some  perhaps  who  could  never 
excel  in  any  particular  channel  for  want  of  the 
right  admixture  of  brain  material,  or  for  the 
proper  adjustment  of  brain  cells  in  the  direction 
for  the  development  of  any  special  manifestation 
or  outcoming  genius,  and  the  time  would  be  mis- 
spent in  the  effort  to  elaborate  what  is  but  in 
embryo,  but  under  a  course  of  scientific  human 
culture  marked  differences  might  be  seen. 


CHARACTER    MAKING  155 

If  parents  were  as  wise  in  generating  the 
human  race  as  the  farmers  prove  to  be  in  the 
production  of  the  lower  species  the  world  could 
boast  of  greater  intelligence  among  both  men  and 
women  than  has  ever  yet  been  manifest. 

If  character  and  success  were  the  aims  of  sires 
and  mates  there  V'/ould  be  more  scholarly  men 
and  more  angelic  women  than  either  continent 
has  yet  produced,  or  at  most  in  a  very  sparse 
degree. 

Athletes  might  be  Solomons  and  musicians  be 
Mozarts ;  philosophers  would  not  exist  as  in  the 
primary  degree,  but  would  be  masters  of  all  prob- 
lems that  require  the  statisticians'  long  sought 
facts  fixed  in  memory  not  tp  be  erased.  If  it  is 
poetry  the  ambitious  youth  accepts  as  his  special 
forte,  the  foundation  for  success  must  be  built  up 
in  the  very  soul  and  body  of  the  idealist.  One 
need  not  expect  success  in  a  career  that  is  a  mere 
fancy  of  the  mind  to  be  able  thereby  to  shun  less 
attractive  work.  There  must  be  a  firm  founda- 
tion, a  root  of  mental  tendencies  in  the  direction 
sought  or  perhaps  assumed,  but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  something  cannot  sprout  and  grow  from 
nothing. 

To  paint  the  color  of  a  rose  there  must  be 
elements  combined  and  in  the  right  proportion  to 
produce  the  tint  desired.  From  yellow  and  blue 
combined  there  would  not  be  the  elements  to 
yield  the  colors  red  and   pink.     The  same   with 


156  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

the  successful  working  of  the  human  intellect. 

If  before  conception  parents  determine  what 
character  or  grade  of  mental  power  they  desire 
in  progeny,  then  bend  their  energy  in  a  wise  and 
proper  way  that  those  qualities  shoud  take 
root  even  before  the  birth,  wonderful  result? 
would  reward  them  for  their  care  and  skill.  Dur- 
ing the  process  of  gestation  the  training  of  these 
faculties  should  be  urged  unfailingly  to  the  end, 
and  after  birth  let  the  training  be  continued,  but 
not  to  the  extent  to  weary  and  clog  the  mind  by 
over-exertion  and  fatigue,  but  in  a  casual,  gentle 
manner  lead  the  pupil  on  and  up  the  hill  laid  out 
for  him  or  her  to  tread.  The  training  should  be 
upon  those  faculties  most  concerned  and  a  genius 
would  be  developed  according  to  the  natural  law 
of  reproduction. 

Here  is  where  woman's  place  of  power  lies  and 
nothing  greater  can  she  do,  than  to  fill  the  world 
with  healthy,  beautiful,  well  organized  children 
to  early  bud,  and  ultimately  blossom,  then  to  bear 
the  rich,  wholesome  fruit  of  parental  planting. 
The  sire  or  father  born  under  such  maternal 
training  would  generate,  in  his  system  the  healthy 
normal  seed  for  a  superior  quality  of  life,  and 
the  reward  would  amply  compensate  for  all  the 
pains  and  care  previously  bestowed.  Generation 
after  generation  would  be  blest  by  an  increase  of 
actual  worth,  to  which  no  after  educational  sys- 
tem could  compare. 


CHARACTER    MAKING  157 

Woman  also  has  an  important  task,  and  she 
should  take  delight  in  ante-natal  preparation  for 
noble,  superior  beings  to  inhabit  earth.  From  the 
present  condition  of  society,  and  from  the  daily 
press  reports  it  is  evident  that  no  such  mental  cul- 
ture has  been  in  vogue. 

Under  the  present  advanced  condition  of  civ- 
ilization on  which  our  nation  prides  itself,  the 
majority  of  human  births  are  without  a  claim  to 
any  cultivation  or  even  to  a  calculation  as  to 
whether  a  conception  is  desired  or  whether  it 
does  or  does  not  occur.  In  truth  comparatively 
few  are  desired  before  their  birth,  their  existence 
depending  upon  chance,  and  in  many,  very  many 
instances  from  the  hour  of  acknowledged  con- 
ception a  repugnance  to  the  fact  becomes  a  con- 
stant weight  and  source  of  mental  worry.  Thir, 
condition  of  mind  is  often  shamefully  increased 
by  the  acknowledged  displeasure  of  the  father, 
which  mingled  with  the  prevailing  thought  of 
immediate  expulsion  enters  into  the  mental  con- 
stitution of  the  embryo  and  a  child  comes  into 
the  world  not  only  unwelcome,  but  under  protest, 
to  be  burdened  by  the  evil  results  as  an  inherit- 
ance. 

Then,  when  at  the  age  to  enter  upon  an  edu- 
cational career  it  is  the  hope  and  pride  of  par- 
ents to  see  a  beautiful,  harmonious  character 
unfold,  but  they  are  many  times  sadly  grieved 
in   their   efTorts   to   develon   worth    because   the 


158  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

unfortunate  subject  was  conceived  in  sin  and 
born  to  wickedness  with  the  foundation  ele- 
ments of  a  thief,  a  murderer  or  a  vagabond. 

And  when  the  school  days  end,  to  overcome 
the  inherent  nature  that  many  times  asserts  itself, 
a  higher  education  is  prescribed,  and  after  some 
years  of  seeming  faithful  study  he  leaves  the 
student's  path  with  credential  in  hand  and  enters 
the  great  arena  of  business  afifairs  to  force  the 
way  to  an  honorable  position  burdened  by  this 
contending  and  unfortunate  condition  of  ante- 
natal mold,  an  ill-fated,  unjust  inheritance,  and 
the  struggle  proves  too  great,  the  adverse  condi- 
tions far  surmount  the  favorable  and  life  is  accom- 
panied by  a  constant  warfare  until  released  by 
death.  And  if,  during  the  life  career,  there  had 
been  an  escape  from  the  prison  cell  or  the  elec- 
tric chair  he  would  have,  indeed,  been  fortunate. 

Yet  in  spite  of  the  knowledge  of  such  terrible 
results,  but  little  thought  is  given  to  this  moment- 
ous question  which  above  all  others  should  claim 
our  earnest  thought  and  unfailing  endeavor  to 
reclaim  the  race  from  the  downward  course  to 
which  it  readily  yields  through  such  adverse  con- 
ditions, working  silently  and  unsuspected,  yet 
with  a  certainty  not  to  be  doubted,  from  causes 
hidden  and  obscure  but  therein  implanted,  reared 
and  cultured  under  the  deceptive  mask  of  an 
almost  super-civilization. 


WOMAN'S  PLACE  OF  POWER 

^f  HE  glory  of  God  is  expressed  in  all  His  works, 
W  but  more  fully  in  his  last  production,  the 
human  race,  which  he  pronounced  as  a  semblance 
of  Himself,  if  not  in  configuration,  in  the  higher 
attributes  which  reach  above  the  material  things 
to  which  mankind  now  clings  with  a  tenacious 
grip  that  holds  him  as  to  life ;  which  to  a  degree 
is  well  when  regulated  by  the  superior  faculties 
that  can  perceive  right  from  wrong,  and  can, 
through  reason,  be  guided  for  the  health  and  well- 
being  of  all. 

The  attributes  of  human  kind  are  gifts  for 
mortal  use  and  for  immortal  gain.  The  special 
senses  of  sight,  hearing,  taste  and  smell  are  essen- 
tial to  our  life,  each  faculty  has  its  definite  use 
and  in  common  with  the  appetites  and  sensuous 
passions  must  be  maintained  for  the  life  and  well- 
being  of  the  individual,  when  proportionately, 
and  rationally  applied,  but  when  these  mortal 
senses  assume  the  throne  and  there  declare  pre- 
eminence over  the  less  ostentatious  and  less 
voracious,  a  restraint  should  be  announced  as 
requisite  for  the  absolute  welfare  of  both  factors 
of  the  human  family  known  as  man  and  woman. 
Woman,  we  may  say,  stands  in  relation  to  man 
as  do  the  five  special  senses  to  the  important 
functions  of  the  body.  The  one  class  so  essential 
to  life  and  usefulness,  yet  would  be  worthless 
without  the  other. 


160  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Of  all  the  creatures  in  God's  great  universe 
none  compares  with  man  for  ability,  genius  and 
determination  to  accomplish  the  aspirations  of 
his  soul,  to  carry  out  his  plans  and  do  something 
worthy  of  existence. 

Whatever  the  weight  of  quadrupeds,  or  the 
dimensions  of  their  gigantic  forms,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  guide,  direct  and  steer  their  great  phys- 
ical machinery  to  a  special,  useful  end  other  than 
to  exist.  While  man  with  slender  form  and  limbs 
of  almost  child-like  build  can,  with  the  working 
of  his  active  mind,  accomplish  more  than  tons  of 
animal  weight  with  only  a  meager  intellect. 

With  a  well  trained  mind  in  a  healty  body  man 
stands  at  the  summit  of  earthly  power  and  with 
the  united  efforts,  metaphorically,  the  earth 
could  be  made  to  shake  and  the  trees  to  fall  at 
his  command. 

Man  occupies  a  position  where  action  is  re- 
quired, where  force,  energy  and  will  are  essen- 
tial equipments.  His  nature  is  more  pungent 
and  more  spicy ;  he  requires  more  strength  of 
arm,  more  force  of  muscle  than  the  female  sex. 
He  is  more  decisive  in  his  mode  of  speech  and 
more  impulsive  in  his  acts,  his  whole  nature 
being  upon   the   excelsior  plan. 

In  the  operation  of  material  things  the  work- 
man must  consider  the  probable  results  of  action. 
The  steamship  or  the  locomotive  must  be  guarded 
against  too  much  steam,  and  against  excessive 


woman's  place  of  power  161 

motion  or,  not  alone  will  destruction  come  to  the 
machine  in  question,  but  to  the  captain  and  the 
crew.  So  with  the  essential  attribute  of  man.  If 
it  were  alone  himself  at  stake,  the  evil  would  be 
very  great,  but  when  an  equal  number  of  women, 
or  it  might  be  more  have  to  suffer  the  poignant 
effect  of  reckless  words  and  cruel  acts,  it  is  not 
only  lawful,  but  an  urgent  necessity  to  hew  down 
the  stronger  passions  and  the  pressing  demands 
of  taste,  to  gradually  prune  the  human  tree  of 
its  gnarly  limbs  and  distorted  branches  while 
yet  the  tree  is  young,  that  the  more  valuable 
members  may  yet  yield  the  most  desirable  fruit. 

This  is  a  task  not  easily  won  in  the  nature  of 
any  growing,  unfolding  thing  without  some 
means  of  culture,  some  help  from  more  yielding 
members  than  the  piercing,  puncturing,  wayward 
parts  that  need  to  be  removed. 

So  woman  here  has  a  most  important  sphere 
in  which  to  exercise  her  talent,  her  imagination 
and  her  love.  She  is  more  concessive,  more 
subdued  and  more  gentle  in  all  her  ways  where 
nature  has  had  her  sway ;  and  through  her  won- 
derful tact  and  talent  she  is  made  as  a  comple- 
ment to  man,  to  aid  him  in  all  of  his  pursuits 
and  to  help  him  to  decide  if  not  to  think.  She  is 
more  esthetic,  less  endowed  with  fire  and  metal. 
She  can  select  her  words  and  restrain  her  actions, 
and  thus  can  modify  the  more  explosive  and  ag- 
gressive sex. 


162  Till.:    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

The  two  are  essential  in  the  construction  of 
homes  and  equally  so  in  the  formulation  of  organ- 
izations. In  all  the  walks  of  life  man  and  woman 
should  unite.  All  the  works  that  interest  the  one, 
must  by  force  of  reason  deeply  interest  the  other, 
as  the  right  hand  of  the  laborer  is  the  one  of 
power  and  force,  but  without  the  left  to  direct 
and  balance  he  would  be  deficient. 

In  all  well-organized  business  firms  two  or 
more  persons  can  manage  better  than  one, 
although  he  may  be  the  financier.  In  all  the 
walks  of  life  the  sexes  should  select  and  mate 
with  equal  intent  for  business  transactions  and 
for  the  family  circle.  The  female  sex  should  be 
early  taught  her  actual  worth  in  the  world's  great 
round  of  public  and  private  affairs.  She  was 
never  intended  to  be  an  idler,  nor  as  a  depending 
vine,  but  to  occupy  an  important  place  by  the 
side  of  man.  not  merely  as  a  candle  bearer,  but 
as  a  light  to  shine,  to  be  his  help-meet  as  God 
hath   wisely   planned. 

Alan  in  the  genealogical  line  followed  after  all 
other  living  things  and  stood  alone  far  above 
the  rest,  but  a  great  want  was  seen,  a  great  need 
for  him,  a  guest,  a  companion  in  his  lone  and 
desolate  state,  so  woman  as  God  sent,  for  his  full 
equipment,  stepped  by  his  side,  the  two  to  be  as 
one. 

The  grace  of  womanhood  was  greatly  needed 
to  give  man  the  opportunity  to  cultivate  his  self- 


woman's  place  of  power  163 

restraint,  to  unfold  his  finer  nature,  to  share  the 
blessings  of  food  and  shelter;  one  to  whom  he 
might  speak  in  gentle  tones,  and  smile  at  hrr  re- 
plies ;  to  listen  to  her  words  of  wisdom  by  angel 
thoughts  impressed  and  these  for  her  to  gerily 
and  lovingly  transmit  to  him,  the  partner  of  her 
joys  and  woe. 

The  kindliness  of  spirit,  the  silent  unpretend- 
ing lo\'e,  the  gracious  confidence  and  trust  she 
gives  her  side  companion  is  always  helpful.  Her 
tenderness  for  children,  the  ever  willing  sacrifice 
she  is  ready  to  accept,  the  trust,  hope  and  faith 
she  holds  for  God  as  her  staff  in  all  the  troublous 
walks  of  life,  constitute  a  womn's  charm  far 
above  the  features  or  the  contour  of  her  face  or 
hand. 

As  time  rolls  on  these  outward  charms  will 
fade  and  fall,  the  cheeks  and  lips  will  lose  their 
color,  but  the  heart  will  always  bloom  and  richer 
fruits  will  be  the  reward  of  riper  years.  And 
all  that  goes  to  unfold  the  beauty  of  the  rose 
will  increase  in  woman's  nature  rendering  her 
more  needful  and  more  attractive  to  her  life  com- 
panion, and  he  will  be  a  strong  and  reliable  sup- 
port to  her  yearning  soul  and  more  fragile  form. 

Man  and  woman  were  thus  intended  to  make 
the  one  complete,  and  where  this  one-ness  is  truly 
felt  they  are  as  one  indeed.  The  one  without 
the  other  is  a  mutilation,  a  severing  of  parts  that 
are  unable  to  develop  to  the  full  maturity  of  mind 


164  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIl-E    TIME 

and  soul  that  the  two  as  one  can  manifest  when 
rightly  mated  in  this  world. 


© 


MAN'S  NATURAL  ASCENT 

II  HE  thunder  rolls,  the  lightnings  flash,  the  air 
>•  is  purified  by  such  tumults,  and  the 
social  atmosphere  is  made  more  tolerable  by  a 
tumult  of  ideas  sent  out  to  arouse  reflection 
among  the  dormant  minds  that  seldom  study  the 
cause   of   their   own    misery    and    misfortune. 

The  waves  of  thought  will  disengage  some  of 
the  fossilized  ideas,  and  every  word  that  arouses 
the  mind,  acts  like  a  lifting  lever  and  by  a  repeti- 
tion of  efforts  the  work  gradually  goes  on 
towards  the  consummation  of  the  result  in  view. 

The  great  moral  wave  of  philosophic  thought, 
being  started  upon  the  ocean  of  life,  will  gently 
and  noiselessly  move  the  sluggish  waters  until, 
through  the  accumulated  action  of  intelligent 
ideas  it  will  begin  to  surge  and  swell  and  the 
white  foam  of  popular  opinion  will  burst  and 
fall  upon  the  dead  and  decaying  surface  of  moss- 
covered  thought,  sweeping  off  the  old  debris  and 
replacing  the  stagnant  waters  with  fresh,  invig- 
orating, life-inspiring,  rational  conclusions  ihat 
have  gradually  accumulated     in     strength     and 


man's  natural  ascent  165 

power  through  a  persistent  effort  to  reach  the 
shore  of  peace  and  tranquility,  where  love  shall 
hold  the  sceptre  and  toleration  shall  liberate  the 
souls   of   men   and   women. 

Freedom  of  thought  and  expression  will  bring 
all  upon  equality,  where  there  will  be  no  high, 
no  low,  but  equal  rights  and  justice  shall  find 
their  normal  place  in  the  heart  of  humanity  to 
the  improvement  of  the  race. 

Discord  will  not  appall,  but  toleration  of  opin- 
ions will  be  the  dictum  of  the  day. 

Each  and  every  thought  will  be  understood  as 
the  result  of  a  higher  grade  of  intellectual  devel- 
opment. It  cannot  be  otherwise  until  time  and 
growth  can  set  the  mind  free  from  the  entangle- 
ment of  old  ideas  inbred  and  fostered  as  being 
the  root  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  the  bread  of  right- 
eousness;  until  the  light  of  wisdom  shall  beam 
upon  the  benighted  souls  of  men  and  women, 
who,  for  generations  have  been  immersed  in 
selfish  thoughts  handed  down  to  posterity  as 
being  precious  truth,  sanctified  by  the  antiquity 
of  conception  and  their  close  adherence  to  past 
ages,  therefore  revered  and  of  undoubted  origin. 

The  rolling,  gushing  waters  of  rational  opinions 
are  bearing  on  the  surface  and  in  the  depths 
below,  a  new  unfettered  trail  of  thought  which 
will  electrify  the  world,  as  in  centuries  past  when 
revolutions  and  mental  disturbances  came, 
uprooting  the   forests   of   error   and   establishing 


166  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIKE    TIME 

more  generous  and  humane  concc]:)tions  of  right- 
eousness, justice,  reason  and  trulli ;  the  world 
will  then  move  on  to  victory  like  unto  the  succes- 
sion of  stated  seasons  and  at  each  turn  of  the 
great  wheel  of  events  new  plans  are  presented, 
new  paths  are  marked  out  and  more  acceptable 
conclusions  are  formed. 

Truth  is  mixed  with  error,  as  wheat  and  tares 
mingle  and  grow  side  by  side,  yet  by  constant  cul- 
ture and  watchful  care  the  wheat  will  outgrow  the 
tares,  and  truth  will  eventually  be  paramount. 

The  old  weeds  of  superstition  and  selfish  greed 
will  be  uprooted  by  the  lofty,  outreaching 
branches  of  christian  brotherhood. 

When  error  is  presented  as  truth  it  will  be  con- 
doned and  excused  as  the  outgrowth  of  uncul- 
tured thought  obscured  by  the  crust  of  unfortu- 
nate circumstances,  whereby  the  light  had  been 
obstructed.  Sincere  effort  will  be  kindly  offered 
to  unravel  the  facts  for  contemplation  and  accept- 
ance when  correction  opens  the  way,  just  as  par- 
ents should  kindly  point  out  the  moral  and  spirit- 
ual pathway  to  guide  the  footsteps  of  their  off- 
spring. 

Humanity  may  thus  guide  and  direct  the  way- 
ward minds  of  the  matured  but  less  fortunate 
individuals  or  classes  of  mankind,  until  through 
love  and  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  sympathy  and  confidence 


man's  natural  ascent  167 

will   prevail,  bringing  out  of  chaos  and   discord 
the  sweet  harmony  of  brother  and  sisterhood. 

There  will  be  no  destructive  conflicts  between 
nations  nor  peoples;  between  the  different  dia- 
lects, nor  colors  of  skin. 

The  horse  fancier  would  not  discard  the  brown 
horse,  nor  the  black,  nor  from  choice  would  he 
always  select  the  white  or  the  gray.  There  are 
characteristics  accompanying  colors  as  there  are 
in  the  contour  of  face  or  shape  of  head,  hands 
or  general  configuration  of  form. 

The  association  of  these  different  constitutions 
brings  equality  and  greater  excellence.  Improve- 
ments in  all  the  lower  grades  of  life  have  depended 
greatly  upon  the  laws  of  selection  and  culture. 

The  demand  for  application  of  this  law  be- 
comes more  necessary  in  the  development  of  the 
human  race,  in  which  the  mind  and  body  may 
be  subject  to  increased  strength  and  ability  by 
the  union  of  elements  which  cannot  flourish  alone, 
but  when  combined  bloom  out  into  superior  pro- 
portions and  quality.  As  the  physical  evolves 
into  a  higher  condition  the  mind  has  a  wider  and 
better  opportunity  to  manifest  its  influence  and 
power.  Thus  Mentality,  like  the  plants  and  an- 
imals unfolds  to  a  greater  degree  through  the 
natural  law  of  scientific  association,  and  step  by 
step  upward  must  be  the  march  until,  by  the  nat- 
ural  process     humanity     assimilates     with     the 


168  THE   LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Divine  as  co-workers  with  Christ  and  the  self- 
made  elect. 


DIVERSITY  A  LAW  OF  NATURE 

^  HE  vegetable  kingdom  is  as  varied  as  the 
Vll'  number  of  species,  and  as  the  individual 
plants  and  trees,  no  two  being  exactly  alike  in 
the  number  of  leaves  nor  in  the  exact  likeness  of 
the  flowers. 

The  oak  and  the  pine  dififer  but  both  are  ad- 
mired and  are  equally  valued,  although  the  text- 
ure differs  with  the  leaves  and  fruit.  The  one 
meets  the  requirements  for  the  density  of  fibre, 
the  other  for  the  softness  of  the  wood. 

Thus  throughout  the  great  range  of  specimens, 
and  so  with  the  human  species;  all  differ  even 
to  the  members  of  one  family.  Children  of  the 
same  parents  often  vary  in  their  complexion,  con- 
formation and  in  their  dispositions  in  common 
with  their  natural  ability.  It  is  not  only  folly, 
but  very  unwise  to  expect  the  same  course  of 
action,  or  to  hope  for  the  same  development  in  all. 

The  color  of  hair  and  expression  of  counten- 
ance, the  tone  of  voice,  the  impulsive  speech  of 
one  and  the  deliberate  expression  of  another,  cor- 
respond with  the  inheritance  and  environment 
both  before  and  after  birth.  These  diversities  are 
governed  by  laws  of  formation  and  growth.    The 


DIVERSITY    A    LAW    OF    NATURE  169 

varied  circumstances,  the  mental  quiet  or  dis- 
turbance ;  the  associations  are  all  concerned  in 
the  moulding  of  the  form,  and  the  texture  of  the 
various  parts  from  conception  to  birth ;  from 
birth  through  a  lifetime. 

The  mental  and  physical  condition  of  parents 
vary  from  time  to  time  and  each  special  phase 
leaves  its  indelible  impress  upon  the  progeny.  The 
multitudinous  perplexities  of  human  experience 
will  be  more  or  less  repeated  in  the  offspring. 
The  quiet,  composed  and  peaceful  state  of  mind 
that  accompanies  a  successful  career  on  the  part 
of  the  father  will  reflect  favorably  upon  the  mind 
of  the  mother.  She  arises  after  refreshing  sleep 
to  enjoy  nature  in  the  fullness  of  its  beauty  and 
the  blessings  of  her  husband's  love. 

The  exhilaration  of  the  morning  air,  the  inspir- 
ing rays  of  the  life-giving  sun  bring  her  into 
sweet  harmony  with  nature  and  all  things  about 
her.  and  there  being  no  mental  discord  nor  phys- 
ical disturbance  to  mar  the  even  course  of  har- 
monious reproduction.  Nature  proceeds  with  the 
unfolding  of  the  foetus  consistent  with  the  gen- 
eral surroundings  to  the  completion  of  the  period, 
and  perfect  foetal  development  would  be  pre- 
dicted, but  even  under  such  apparently  favorable 
circumstances,  if  the  mother's  mind  frequently 
reverts  to  the  sorrows  of  earlier  days,  and  she 
indulges  in  mentally  repeating  the  old  circum- 
stances of  discord,  and  recalls  the  troubles  of  an 


170  Tllli:    LOC.IC    OK    A    LIFE    TIME 

unhappy  girlhood,  the  disappointments,  the  pun- 
ishments and  seemingly  unjust  restrictions; 
these  registered  memories  would  greatly  influ- 
ence the  expanding  bud  of  the  human  entity  and 
an  angular  formation  of  body  accompanied  by  a 
despondent,  irritable  disposition  might  be  the  in- 
heritance, of  what  would  have  seemed  to  be.  the 
most  favorable  environment  for  the  prospective 
heir. 

Quiet  but  potent  causes  may  underlie  the 
structure  of  mind  and  body  in  the  unfolding 
human  flower,  all  unconscious  to  itself,  and  for 
which  it  is  irresponsible,  but  from  which  it  must 
suffer  throughout  a  life-time  if  not  overshadow^ 
the  future.  Thus  the  quiet,  unseen  working  of 
foetal  development  proceeds  to  the  climax  of 
fruition  and  often  under  the  cover  of  hidden  but 
very  adverse  conditions,  with  unfavorable  results 
much  to  the  surprise  of  the  expectant  beholders 
w-ith  an  effect  to  weaken  confidence  in  parental 
heritage. 

Again  a  prospective  mother  yearns  for  a  hand- 
some, attractive  child  and  according  to  the 
pronounced  infallible  law  of  suggestion  which 
she  had  gleaned  from  some  indisputable  author- 
ity, the  necessity  of  having  in  her  possession  a 
choice,  beautiful  woman  upon  whom  to  gaze  and 
meditate  with  the  hope  of  a  facsimilie  of  the 
much  admired  object  in  her  coming  offspring, 
but  to  her  surprise  the  features  of  her  child,  if 


DIVERSITY    A    LAW    OF    NATURE  171 

not  deformed  are  quite  dissimilar  to  the  sample, 
because  raging  in  her  own  mind  had  been  dis- 
cordant thoughts  and  hidden  troubles  far  more 
potent  in  effect  than  the  passive  features  of  the 
friend  or  silent  portrait. 

One  may  water  and  train  a  plant,  may  add 
fresh  soil  with  the  hope  of  perfection  in  its 
growth  and  beauty,  but  with  all  this  care  and 
culture,  if  some  destructive  acid  had  penetrated 
the  soil  and  touched  the  root  the  result  would 
be  disappointing  as  the  plant  would  wither  and 
die.  It  would  be  more  in  accordance  with  a 
rational  plan  not  to  mentally  stake  out  the  feat- 
ures nor  the  form,  then  thwart  the  same  through 
an  opposite  course  of  life,  but  cast  aside  the  seeds 
of  discontent,  cultivate  a  happy  disposition,  be 
companionable  with  nature,  avoid  all  physical 
abuse  and  mental  discord,  cultivate  harmony  and 
contentment  and  favorable  results  will  follow. 

Features  and  outlines  are  not  independent  de- 
velopments. They  greatly  depend  upon  the  quality 
and  distribution  of  the  brain  cells.  It  would  be  un- 
reasonable to  expect  the  finished  features  of  a  god- 
dess of  beauty  with  a  coarse  unbalanced  brain  and 
defective  nerves.  The  development  of  brain  cells  as 
to  quality,  accumulation  and  position  has  much  to 
do  with  the  features.  A  child  conceived  under 
conflicting  conditions  with  contention,  opposi- 
tion and  frequent  periods  of  grief  and  mental  un- 
rest could  not  be  expected,  under  the  law  of  de- 


172  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

velopment  to  possess  the  features  and  expression 
of  an  opposite  birth.  The  shape  of  the  forehead, 
the  nose,  the  curve  of  the  lips  and  chin  depend 
upon  the  mental  development. 

For  the  cultivation  of  cabbage  or  any  other 
vegetable,  we  need  not  plant  seeds  of  each  kind 
expecting  a  crop  of  good  fruit  alone  from  the 
planting,  the  soil  must  be  fitted  for  the  desired 
result,  and  from  the  start,  conditions  must  favor; 
even  if  the  soil  contains  all  the  elements  for 
growth,  there  must  be  no  impediments  in  the 
way  like  rocks  or  roots  of  trees,  the  soil  must  be 
loose,  with  moisture,  sunlight  and  due  fertiliza- 
tion to  give  the  young  germ  a  chance  for  life; 
then  all  the  way  until  the  plant  is  perfected  there 
must  be  watchful  care,  pruning,  trimming  and 
training  for  the  desired  results. 

Bushels  of  anthracite  coal  will  be  burnt  to  pro- 
tect the  life  and  growth  of  the  white  lily  or  rose 
during  the  season  when  the  mercury  is  low,  and 
in  the  summer  choice  plants  are  shaded  from  the 
sun.  The  developing  child  often  receives  less 
thought  and  care  than  the  house  plants  for  which 
we  spare  time,  money  and  physical  exertion. 

The  innumerable  quarrels,  the  opposition,  the 
threats  and  the  maltreatment  sometimes  from 
husband  and  kindred,  the  broils  and  disturbances 
with  servants  and  neighbors  keep  up  a  feeling  of 
anger  and  dread  with  many  times  a  deep  cur- 
rent of  unexpressed  determination  for  revenge,  to 


DIVERSITY    A    LAW    OF    NATURE 


173 


be  inevitably  dispatched  to  the  brain  and  the 
nerves  of  the  fruit  of  the  mother,  which  is  seldom 
if  ever,  considered  during  the  process  of  gesta- 
tion, and  when  the  child  is  born  a  great  amount 
of  expense  and  unremitted  vigilance  is  bestowed 
upon  the  product  of  marriage  to  fit  the  devel- 
oping youth  to  become  a  worthy  citizen  and  an 
example  of  honor  and  peace. 

After  years  of  remolding,  education  and  train- 
ing, to  the  casual  observer,  a  great  achievement 
has  been  wrought  in  disposition  and  character, 
but  let  adverse  conditions  and  strong  antagon- 
isms present  to  interfere  with  the  progress  of 
this  new  aspirant  to  the  world's  sphere  of  action, 
and  strenuous  efforts  at  self-defense  will  be  in 
evidence  at  each  and  every  opposing  influence. 
Anger  and  discontent,  controversies  and  disputes, 
moroseness  and  revenge  may  be  the  usual  se- 
quence of  a  disturbed  and  ruffled  mind. 

The  portraits  and  living  samples  have  their 
effect  upon  the  features,  complexion  and  general 
contour,  when  there  is  no  stronger  force  at  work, 
but  amiability,  thoughtfulness,  cheerfulness,  and 
mental  quietude  must  be  a  factor  in  the  devel- 
opment, and  the  strongest  influence  will  predom- 
inate in  the  building  and  molding  of  the  uncon- 
scious entity  under  foetal  construction. 

Not  only  during  the  few  months  of  pregnancy 
should  the  mother  assume  the  amiable,  loving, 
forgiving   disposition,    especially    for   the   hoped 


174  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

for  results,  but  such  should  have  been  her 
training  from  childhood  to  womanhood,  thus  pre- 
paring for  the  crowning  event  of  her  life  as  a 
mother  to  the  members  of  the  human  family. 

As  is  elsewhere  stated,  the  generation  of  choice 
human  beings  is  unexcelled  in  importance  by  any 
other  process  of  life.  To  become  an  effective 
musician  or  artist,  a  clergyman  or  politician,  a 
philanthropist  or  eminent  scientist,  is  to  acquire 
an  enviable  position,  but  to  be  conscientious, 
God-fearing,  self-respecting  and  humanity-loving 
parents  of  healthy,  well-formed,  intellectual  and 
worthy  oflfspring,  is  the  crowning  success  of  a 
lifetime. 

When  we  say  God-fearing,  it  is  not  in  the  sense 
of  the  fear  a  criminal  experiences  in  the  presence 
of  the  judge,  but  being  in  full  possession  of  the 
knowledge  that  broken  laws  are  always  subject 
to  consequent  penalties,  which  even  God  does 
not  suspend  for  rich  or  poor,  for  saint  or  sinner. 

The  youth  of  both  sexes  should  be  early  en- 
lightened upon  the  subject  of  heredity  and  from 
the  age  of  understanding  the  object  and  import- 
ance of  life  should  be  instilled  into  the  mind  and 
comprehension,  that  as  responsibilities  develop 
both  sexes  would  understand  the  importance  of 
existence,  and  that  the  fruit  of  the  reproductive 
function  should  be  for  superiority  of  individuals 
and  for  an  improvement  of  the  race  until  perfec- 
tion   shall   be   attained,   longrevity   increased   and 


PROGRESSIVE    PHILOSOPHY  175 

the  moral  and  spiritual  development  will  so 
transform  the  race  that  with  gods,  indeed,  we 
may  be  classed  as  genuine  Christians  and  follow- 
ers of  Jesus  Christ,  all  the  children  of  a  just  and 
righteous  Providence. 


PROGRESSIVE   PHILOSOPHY 

^TfHE  greatest  boon  conferred  on  man  is  a  con- 
^/  tented  mind,  knowing  that  he  is  the  child  of 
God,  and  in  the  universal  plan  that  he  is  safe ; 
safe  in  the  sense  that  although  he  endure  tran- 
sition he  will  not  be  lost,  not  cast  out  of  exist- 
ence, and  any  change  that  comes  to  him  will 
be  for  his  betterment. 

If  he  languishes  with  infirmity  and  suffers  for 
the  want  of  food  after  this  life-work  ends,  he  is 
but  nearing  the  gates  of  paradise  whereby  his 
soul  will  be  made  free. 

If  changes  come  from  wealth  to  poverty,  he 
is  made  to  comprehend  what  he  never  could  have 
understood  with  unremitted  prosperity. 

If  bereft  of  all  his  friends  on  earth  and  stran- 
gers alone  are  left  to  whom  he  might  appeal,  he 
may  learn  the  painful  lesson  that  these  will  often 
entertain  a  deeper  love  and  a  greater  S3'mpathy 
than  kindred  by  the  ties  of  blood. 


176         .  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

This  trust  and  abiding  faith,  does  more  to  lift 
the  soul  than  all  the  evidence  that  may  be 
claimed  to  verify  belief.  Trust  in  Deity  as  the 
source  of  all  our  hopes,  our  aspirations  and  for 
all  our  help. 

Ang-els  are  waiting  to  do  their  work,  to  aid  each 
other,  and  to  help  the  people  of  earth,  but  all 
they  can  do  is  to  apply  the  law  that  every  thing 
must  come  from  the  one  great  source,  Jehovah 
Jove,  our  Lord. 

From  this  great  fountain  of  love,  light  and  wis- 
dom, we  all  had  our  origin  to  which  we  must  re- 
turn, as  we  are  all  God's  creatures  under  His 
mighty  rule  and  law,  from  which  we  cannot  break 
any  more  than  can  the  sun  cease  to  shed  his  rays 
equally  upon  the  small  and  great,  or  less  upon 
the  desert  waste  than  on  the  fertile  soil. 

God's  saving  power  cannot  be  checked,  nor  in 
the  least  be  changed,  so  why  should  mortals 
worry  ? 

From  the  insect  world  up  to  the  most  gifted  of 
the  human  race  there  is  provision  for  all,  under 
any  and  every  circumstance.  If  the  worm  is  sev- 
ered by  the  spade  or  plow,  the  mortal  part  may 
soften  and  decay  and  fertilize  the  soil,  but  the  liv- 
ing-spark within  is  gathered  up  into  the  great 
reservoir  of  inexhaustible  life  and  serves  as  nutri- 
ment for  the  entities  transported  from  earth  to 
the  next  higher  grade. 


PROGRESSIVE   PHILOSOPHY  177 

As  on  earth  it  is  exemplified,  that  one  Hving 
thing  devours  and  exists  upon  the  forms  of 
others ;  so  in  a  greater  degree  the  disembodied 
entities  attract  the  life  forces  of  the  lower  orders 
and  apply  them  to  their  use,  whereby  both  are 
mutually  enhanced  through  the  wise  and  eco- 
nomic process  adapted  to  all  the  spheres  on 
earth  and  in  the  spirit  realms. 

This  provision  might  be  comprehended  under 
the  laws  of  progressive  transmigration,  but  not 
including  retrogression. 

The  entity  once  holding  a  place  on  earth,  when 
freed  from  such  environments  ascends  in  the 
scale  of  development  and  changes  as  from  a 
limbless  worm  into  a  butterfly,  or  from  an 
earth  worm  to  a  snail,  and  as  a  snail,  to  the  next 
higher  grade,  so  up  to  man.  And  when  the 
spirit  of  man  is  made  free,  upward  is  the  tendency, 
for  such  is  the  natural  trend. 

It  is  but  a  rational  conclusion  that  disembodied 
entities  of  whatever  grade  must  receive  strength 
and  power  from  the  union  of  recently  trans- 
ported life  from  the  earth  plane,  and  this  associa- 
tion proves  a  mutual  benefit  verifying  the  asser- 
tion that  nothing  can  be  lost. 

The  meeting  and  mingling  of  harmonious  ele- 
ments or  forces  becomes  an  impetus  to  a  greater 
elaboration,  and  the  process  of  evolution  need 
not,  does  not  cease  with  the  frail  earth  forms, 
but  is  a  continued  process. 


178  THE   LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Instead  of  following  the  downward  tendency,  as 
is  understood  by  the  term  re-incarnation,  the  life 
principle,  the  transfigured  souls  proceed  towards 
more  exalted  conditions  w'hcn  unfettered  by  phys- 
ical surroundings. 

Ever  as  the  branches  of  a  tree  reach  outward 
and  upward  for  the  elements  of  the  atmosphere 
and  the  transparent  dew,  thus  thriving  more  pros- 
perously than  it  could  do,  by  bending  the  limbs 
earthward  for  nourishment. 

Evolution  is  the  natural  course  for  all  things, 
although  less  apparent  in  some  departments  of 
the  world  than  in  others,  but  the  law  cannot  be 
controverted. 

When  life  becomes  extinct  a  higher  step  is 
taken  to  meet  and  mingle  intimately  with  more 
fully  developed  elements  and  life  principles  that 
a  mutual  advancement  may  ensue. 

Through  everlasting  changes  these  scions  of 
love  and  liberty  progress,  until  the  brightness  and 
blaze  of  Eternal  God,  the  rightful  inheritance  of 
all,   and   everything,   is   claimed. 

By  scientists  and  modern  thinkers  these  transpo- 
sitions are  recognized  in  the  lower  grades  of  un- 
folding germs.  It  is  acknowledged  that  vegeta- 
tion gets  its  growth  and  power  of  fruition  from 
air,  water  and  earth ;  that  the  leaves  and  fruits  of 
trees  and  other  vegetable  products  give  aid  to 
growth  and  strength  in  both  animals  and  man. 


PROGRESSIVE    PHILOSOPHY  179 

It  is  the  life  principle  of  food  that  adds  to 
man's  vitality  and  physical  worth.  Much  depends 
upon  the  quality  of  food  he  consumes  as  regards 
the  development  of  his  physical  strength,  in- 
tellectual ability  and  spiritual  worth. 

As  from  one  living  thing  another  comes  into 
being  so  by  the  same  law  the  spiritual  ascends; 
as  our  food  becomes  humanized  through  the  pro- 
cess of  digestion  and  assimilation  so  must  the  in- 
termingling of  the  spiritual  essences,  disrobed  of 
flesh  and  free,  become  attracted,  commingled  and 
united  with  the  higher,  thereby  imparting  fuel 
or  flame  for  greater  power  and  more  extended  in- 
fluence, while  the  ascent  of  the  lower  and  less 
efficient  is  accelerated  and  becomes  more  con- 
scious of  greater  afifiliation  with  the  Creator. 

Throughout  the  eternities  onward  and  upward 
all  things  are  bent.  There  is  no  retrogression 
in  all  of  the  world's  great  evolution.  In  the  given 
process  for  reaching  higher  in  the  scale  of  wis- 
dom and  truth  there  need  be  no  more  fear  of  los- 
ing identity,  than  when  a  person  on  earth  visits 
a  friend  and  remains  a  given  time,  then  proceeds 
to  visit  another,  or  he  leaves  his  loved  ones  to 
seek  for  other  fields  of  knowledge  and  to  shake 
off  some  of  the  old  ancestral  impediments  that 
had  held  him  to  erroneous  ideas;  as  the  journey 
progresses  new  thoughts  are  aroused,  new  loves 
and  attractions  are  experienced,  but  there  are  no 
obstructions  to  his  return  to  the  scenes  of  his 


180  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

youth  and  to  his  old  comrades  and  friends,  to  re- 
late the  varied  experiences  during  his  explora- 
tions, and  to  impart  the  new  ideas  acquired  in 
districts  traversed  where  the  seeds  of  progression 
had  been  sown  and  awaiting  the  harvester  who 
might  reap  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  friends  and 
self. 

Throughout  all  this  flight  his  process  of  mental 
expansion,  soul  growth,  personality  and  conscious 
identity  were  maintained  and  memory  of  all  the 
great  evolutions  to  which  he  was  conscious  were 
indelibly  impressed  on  his  mind.  So  with  the  un- 
fettered spirit  of  man  until  the  end  of  the  journey, 
if  end  there  shall  be. 

Each  and  all  the  children  of  earth  are  important 
factors  in  the  great  process  of  spiritual  unfold- 
ment  from  the  smallest  germ  to  the  loftiest  soul 
since  the  world  began. 


(T 


THE  WILLING  HAND. 

II  HE  world  is  ready  for  the  truth,  and  the 
1/  truth  must  be  presented.  The  field  is  ripe 
with  the  whitened  harvest  but  the  gatherers  are 
few.  Many  fields  are  open  for  the  work  of  men 
today,  but  the  work  is  much  retarded  for  want 
of  willing  hands  to  lift  the  sheaves. 


THE    WILLING    HAND  181 

The  egg  of  reform  is  matured  and  the  living 
spirit  of  energy  is  ready  to  break  forth  when  the 
hard  shell  of  concrete  error  yields  to  the  blow  of 
the  intellectual  hammer,  from  whichever  side  the 
stroke  may  come,  whether  from  the  church  pros- 
elyte, the  weapon  of  the  ambitious  politician  or 
from  the  lips  of  woman  in  defense  of  rational 
motherhood. 

The  germ  of  right  stands  ready  in  the  citadel 
of  thought,  and  all  that  is  required  is  to  ignite  the 
brand  and  the  flame  of  wisdom  will  belch  forth 
an  endless  stream  of  well  digested  ideas,  which 
when  formulated  into  rules  and  laws  will  change 
the  present  system  of  government  and  the  modes 
of  education. 

The  churches,  now  standing  cl'osed  except  for 
Sunday  service  to  discuss  the  straight  and  nar- 
row way  for  mortals  to  enter  heaven,  will  be 
opened  to  the  daily  use  of  men  and  women  to 
hear  the  word  of  God  as  spoken  through  his 
children,  where  one  and  all  may  find  a  welcome 
entrance  to  the  Father's  love ;  where  no  creed 
will  close  the  door  against  one  denomination 
more  than  another;  where  the  outer  garb  will  not 
be  seen,  for  the  shining  gems  of  thought  will  glit- 
ter and  gleam  to  the  extinction  of  all  recognition 
of  difference  between  the  robes  of  rich  and  poor, 
and  the  earnest  endeavor  of  all  will  be,  to  do 
right,  to  be  just,  to  hold  the  light  for  others 
whose  sight  may  yet  be  dim;  to  lift  the  burdens 


182  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

from  the  bending  backs  of  the  unfortunate  and 
to  raise  the  traiUng  robes  of  tradition's  wearing, 
and  remove  the  incrustation  formed  through  long 
periods  of  embalmed  superstition  which  had  sub- 
stantially closed  the  avenue  to  freedom  of  speech, 
and  thought,  with  unsurmountable  barriers  to  cor- 
rect conclusions. 

But  the  time  is  here,  the  mighty  now,  when 
all  may  rise  to  freedom  of  thought  and  speech, 
and  in  concerted  action  may  lower  the  bars  and 
open  wide  the  gates  to  freedom,  to  equality  and 
to  an  acknowledgment  that  mankind  is  a  unit,  and 
that  God  the  Father  holds  all  nations  and  peo- 
ples the  world  over,  as  in  the  palm  of  His 
mighty  hand,  knowing  no  choice  nor  difiference, 
yielding  His  blessings  to  all  mankind,  when  all 
shall  reach  to  share  them. 

When  both  men  and  women  have  wrought  out 
the  righteous  life,  we  will  be  in  a  condition  to 
work  in  the  Father's  vineyard  where  we  can  read 
our  titles  clear,  and  where  we  can  read  the  word 
of  God  as  in  an  open  book ;  where  we  can  work 
with  the  white-robed  angels ;  and  what  we  do  will 
be  to  our  advantage  as  well  as  to  that  of  the  world 
of  spirits,  and  what  is  done  will  be  to  the  advance- 
ment of  worlds  upon  worlds. 

When  the  revelation  of  what  we  are,  is  worn  on 
our  brows,  it  will  be  without  pride  or  ostentation, 
but  for  the  encouragement  of  all  who  may  read 
with  a  clear  and  emphatic  voice,  "Thou  art  of 


THE    PREPARATORY    STAGE 


183 


the  anointed."     We  shall  then  walk  in  the  path 
that  leads  to  our  salvation. 

This  great  work  should  go  on  with  rapid 
strides  until  all  shall  wear  the  crown  of  well  do- 
ing, until  war  and  bloodshed  shall  cease,  until 
the  world  shall  be  in  peace,  until  woman  can  hold 
her  rightful  station  and  moral  worth  shall  take  the 
place  of  gold ;  when  they  who  live  the  righteous 
way  shall  in  spirit  dwell,  not  to  enter  into  disso- 
lution and  become  old  and  useless,  but  to  last 
without  unusual  waste  or  decay  and  wear  the 
rose  of  youth  with  the  view  of  an  endless  day, 
when  they  will  be  one  with  God  and  as  His 
rightful  heirs,  when  they  learn  who  they  are  and 
for  what  purpose  they  are  here. 


THE  PREPARATORY  STAGE 

^HE  bells  have  rung,  the  chapel  songs  are  sung 
W  and  it  is  time  that  work  begun.  The  harvest 
is  white,  the  wheat  is  falling,  it  is  time  to  gather 
in  the  stalks  that  still  remain  before  they  yield 
to  the  wind  and  rain,  as  all  things  are  victims  of 
disaster  and  disease.  Many  of  the  human  race 
pass  away  in  the  mighty  chase  for  worldly  things, 
for  what  may  perish  and  decay,  before  the  object 
sought  brings  the  hoped-for     satisfaction     that 


184  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

prompted  the  strain  and  effort  to  obtain.  So  why- 
should  mortals  waste  their  precious  time  on 
earth  to  acquire  what  is  not  worth  the  vital  ex- 
penditure to  secure? 

Life  on  earth  is  the  germinating  season,  the 
preparation  time  for  a  higher  birth  to  the  elysian 
fields  where  real  expansion  has  its  w^ay  and  ob- 
structions are  not  found,  but  a  clear  and  upward 
course  that  may  be  travelled  by  all  earth's  peo- 
ple if  they  but  enter  at  the  open  gate  that  always 
stands  ajar. 

Many  waste  the  years  allotted  to  growth  and 
preparation  for  the  coming  entrance  to  greater 
fields,  where  the  golden  grain  is  waving  and  the 
flowers  yield  a  rich  perfume,  that  serves  as  bea- 
con lights  to  lead  them  on  their  .way;  where  all 
beauty  is  increased,  all  fragrance  is  condensed,  and 
joy  and  happiness  are  enhanced ;  all  love  is  deep- 
ened, all  peace  more  peaceful,  and  all  goodness 
more  real  and  everlasting. 

This  is  a  compensation  of  incalculable  worth 
with  increasing  depth  and  power ;  a  reward  of 
happiness  never  to  be  acquired  on  earth  through 
all  the  efforts  mortals  make,  for  here  all  things 
are  evanescent. 

The  soul  of  man  is  quickened  here  upon  this 
ever  changing  sphere,  but  like  the  seed  germ  of  a 
plant  can  never  unfold  while  in  the  shell. 

Man's  yearning  nature  to  be  free,  to  expand  and 
grow  to  the  height  of  great  enjoyment  prompts 


THE    PREPARATORY    STAGE 


185 


him   to  strive   from   first  to  last  to   secure  this 
prize  of  happiness. 

Through  the  acquisition  of  earthly  treasures, 
through  pretentious  habitations  of  size  and  beau- 
ty, through  means  of  rapid  locomotion,  through 
raiment  unexcelled,  and  extravagant  festivities, 
through  physical  delights  and  sensuousness  he 
reaches  forth  to  acquire  the  goal  of  satisfaction 
that  seems  so  near,  but  all  perishes  and  falls,  the 
mind  is  often  weakened  or  dethroned,  the  body 
breaks  in  the  great  effort  to  equal  or  excel  his 
peers. 

One  by  one  the  mortal  parts  give  way  and  all 
that  he  achieved  was  but  the  limited  reach  his 
soul  could  make  in  its  sphere  of  earthly  bondage. 
But  when  the  mortal  falls  away  and  gives  freedom 
to  the  real  and  everlasting  man  within,  there 
comes  the  unlimited  freedom  that  could  never 
be  experienced  by  the  most  favored  child  of 
earth,  then  the  aspirations  and  the  opportunities 
are  coequal;  then  the  explorations  find  no  limit, 
the  beauty  and  charm  find  no  boundary,  the  fresh- 
ness and  light  are  always  uplifting,  and  the  wis- 
dom and  love  which  the  earthbound  can  never 
conceive  are  bountifully  lavished  on  the  receptive 
dwellers  of  the  celestial  spheres.  Hopes  are  real- 
ized, aspirations  are  not  in  advance  of  the  realiza- 
tion, and  at  once  the  new  comer  perceives  he  is 
in  the  midst  of  what  he  had  yearned  for,  but  what, 
upon  earth  he  could  never  attain. 


186  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

The  preparatory  stage  of  human  iinfoldment 
is  not  the  time  of  fruition.  It  is  but  a  probation 
required  to  melt  and  to  mold  the  inner  life  to  the 
possibility  of  a  future  development. 

If  the  vital  part  of  the  acorn  were  possessed  of 
the  power  of  thought,  and  the  will  for  acquire- 
ment, it  might  struggle  in  its  hard  encasement 
for  the  liberty  and  magnitude  of  the  out-branch- 
ing oak,  but  never  could  such  a  realization  be 
attained  while  the  shell  was  intact  and  covered 
the  germ ;  so  with  the  destiny  of  man,  and  the 
earlier  he  is  made  conscious  of  the  fact,  the  greater 
will  be  the  benefit. 

When  man  is  assured  that  his  ever-reaching 
soul  is  but  the  yearning  of  his  spirit  for  a  broader 
area,  to  expand  through  advantages  and  rewards 
earth  can  never  afford,  he  will  be  made  aware 
that  the  only  way  to  secure  the  boon  is  to  unfold 
the  higher  attributes  and  faculties  of  heart  and 
mind,  and  prepare  for  the  time  when  freedom  may 
be  granted  for  all  the  soul  may  crave,  and  that 
the  greatest  speed  is  made  through  turning  from 
this  life's  so-called  pleasures  to  a  realization  of 
higher  fields  for  the  soul  to  delve  and  to  soat, 
to  live  and  enjoy  beyond  this  world's  capacity  to 
afford. 

The  chief  purpose  of  earth  life,  which  is  lirr-ited, 
is  a  preparation  for  an  eternal  existence  through 
the  cultivation  of  all  the  higher  attributes  includ- 
ing love,  mercy,  forgiveness,  hope  and  faith ;  to 


MODERATION    IN    ALL    THINGS 


187 


prune  and  develop  the  inner  man  to  fit  him  for  tlic 
higher  plane,  that  noble  acts  and  generous  im- 
pulses have  prepared  for  him.  To  know  that  there 
is  a  home  for  the  entire  human  race  beyond  this 
embryotic  starting  place  and  by  such  means  be 
ready  to  take  an  upward  flight  as  soon  as  the  mor- 
tal shell  shall  break. 

The  youth  should  all  be  taught  the  importance 
of  this  life,  its  object  and  its  aim,  to  disabuse 
their  minds  of  the  crude  and  irrational  idea  that 
all  of  life  is  an  existence  on  this  earth,  but  lift 
their  estimate  of  manly  worth  above  the  level  of 
this  infantile,  this  preparatory  stage  to  one  of 
lightness,  of  beauty  and  unlimited  range  with 
opportunities,  advantages  and  corresponding 
ability  to  grasp  and  enjoy  not  only  for  the  per- 
iod of  a  lifetime  on  earth,  but  for  a  continued 
existence  with  increasing  advantages  through  the 
interminable  period  of  eternity. 


MODERATION  IN  ALL  THINGS 

^rHE  dayspring  of  light  illumines  the  world  and 
W  the  heavens  are  open  to  earth,  the  fountains 
of  life  and  spiritual  light  are  ever  ready  to  shed 
their  beams  upon  willing  souls  who  look  to  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  light  to  guide 
them  on  their  way. 


188  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

A  consciousness  of  this  perpetual  union  should 
be  a  rest  to  mortal  minds,  a  security  against  dis- 
aster and  all  evil  influences  that  come  between 
the  faithful  and  the  Master.  Doubts  dispel  the 
hovering  influence  of  protective  love  and  unremit- 
ting care.  A  willing  outstretched  hand  will  grasp 
the  gifts  as  offered  it,  and  whether  great  or  small 
if  gratitude  is  felt  the  palm  expands  for  larger 
ones  which  will  always  be  in  store  for  such  as  ac- 
cept the  smaller  share. 

The  law  holds  good  in  commercial  trade  and 
being  juStly  filed,  is  one  that  never  fails.  All 
might  learn  that  such  would  be  the  claim  if 
through  wisdom  they  could  know  the  law  of 
loss  and  gain.  It  is  unfailing  in  the  world's  com- 
mercial trade  and  equally  in  spiritual  gifts. 

Be  careful  of  the  rays  of  spiritual  light  and  lift 
the  curtain  that  they  may  enter  and  may  pene- 
trate and  add  new  life  to  things  that  live;  but 
when  the  impenetrable  curtain  of  doubt  and  fear 
mingled  with  ignorance  of  the  law,  is  allowed  to 
fail,  the  spiritual  sun  might  shine  with  all  its 
glory  yet  fail  to  penetrate  what  would  be  fertile 
soil  if  left  to  nature. 

The  grasping  hand  of  the  ambitious  is  ever 
ready  to  bear  down  the  fruitful  limb  filled  with 
tempting  flowers,  the  promise  of  abundant  fruit- 
age, but  in  the  eager  grasp  for  more  of  the  lusc- 
ious fruit  the  bloom  of  promise  is  gathered  be- 
fore the  time  of  ripening.     So  with  the  world  of 


MODERATION    IN    ALL    THINGS  189 

financial  wealth.  The  eager  selfish  love  of  gold 
often  blocks  the  way  from  securing  the  actual 
needs  of  the  present  and  the  approaching  day. 

Instead  of  gathering  the  fruit  before  it  is  ripe, 
gather  the  ripened  specimens,  if  only  a  few  are 
found,  and  as  the  few  are  taken  from  the  limb, 
there  is  left  a  chance  for  more,  and  eventually  the 
limbs  will  freely  yield  all  the  fruit  they  naturally 
could  bear.  It  is  the  same  in  all  the  pursuits  of 
life. 

Human  needs  are  imperative,  but  a  wise  appro- 
priation is  the  basis  of  accumulation.  The  need- 
ful is  many  times  excluded  through  an  avaricious 
greed  for  more  than  can  be  well  applied  to  meet 
the  wants  of  man.  Not  only  in  the  line  of  gold 
and  material  w^ealth  does  the  law  apply,  but  In 
every  sense,  even  in  the  greed  for  food  w'hen  a 
small  amount  would  satisfy  the  demands  of  na- 
ture, the  greedy  crave  for  all  that  can  be  con- 
sumed which  fills  the  body  with  disease  by  over- 
taxing every  part  in  order  to  adjust  itself  to  the 
mass  enclosed ;  then  excessive  work  must  be  per- 
formed, a  strain  on  every  nerve,  to  be  succeeded 
by  a  chill  or  a  collapse,  then  fever  or  excessive 
action  follow^s  to  propel  the  machine  beyond  its 
normal  power  until  the  body  yields,  a  helpless 
wreck,  to  the  great  oppression  of  undigested  food 
and  occlusion  or  heart  failure  ends  the  whole  ca- 
reer. 


190  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

The  same  law  holds  good  in  the  grasp  of  men- 
tal food.  Little  by  little  the  child  may  learn,  and 
all  the  knowledge  he  acquires  may  be  applied  in 
his  daily  moves,  but  when  the  brain  is  overtaxed 
for  several  hours  every  day  to  develop  reason, 
memory  and  calculation,  the  brain  cells  are 
crowded  with  more  embarrassment  than  their 
delicate  structure  can  endure,  and  some  will 
yield  to  the  over-strain,  will  collapse  and  become 
paralyzed  in  the  erroneous  attempt  to  gorge  the 
young  recipient  with  lore  beyond  his  youthful 
power  to  grasp  and  successfully  retain. 

The  number  of  studies  a  child  of  twelve  short 
years  is  forced  to  master,  is  many  times  more 
than  one  of  twenty  could  utilize,  and  the  result  is, 
a  crippled  intellect  and  a  loathing  for  what  can- 
not be  mentally  digested,  and  the  whole  physical 
system  likewise  yields  to  the  overpowering  press- 
ure ;  the  child  weakens,  fails  in  health,  and  to  ex- 
tricate himself  from  these  fetters  which  parents, 
teachers  and  the  commonwealth  determine  as  cor- 
rect, he  is  impelled  to  some  untoward  act,  and  dis- 
regarding the  love  of  family  ties,  he  breaks  the 
bonds  of  loyalty  and  starts  for  other  lands  or 
takes  shelter  on  the  sea  with  disinterested 
strangers. 

The  law  of  avariciousness  has  no  limit;  in  all 
the  ways  of  life  the  effects  are  seen,  even  in  the 
acquirement  of  spiritual  gain.  It  is  by  a  gradual 
process  that  all  healthy  growth  can  be  effected. 


MODERATION    IN    ALL    THINGS  191 

The  great  and  most  important  lesson  is  to  prac- 
tice moderation  and  appropriate  the  little  gained 
each  day,  and  more  can  thus  be  added  until  the 
mind  is  healthfully  and  harmoniously  unfolded, 
and  the  spirit  lifted  as  the  bird  on  wing  with  the 
balance  wisely  adjusted  to  moderate  all  things, 
thereby  gaining  all  the  mind  may  apply  with  no 
wasted  overflow,  whereby  a  continued  advance- 
ment shall  be  experienced,  and  a  steady  growth 
of  permanent  worth  will  be  in  evidence  to  all  ob- 
serving persons. 

Be  still  and  wait,  give  the  seed  due  time  to 
sprout  and  the  roots  to  penetrate  the  earth  be- 
fore we  attempt  to  gather  fruit.   ' 

The  branches  and  the  leaves  must  come,  the 
flowers  must  first  appear  before  the  actual  fruit 
can  possibly  evolve. 

The  world  requires  time  for  its  perfection.  Mil- 
lions of  years,  based  on  preceding  millions  passed 
before  it  arrived  at  the  present  state,  and  it  is 
for  the  human  race,  so  highly  gifted,  to  study 
well  its  own  position,  and  preserve  itself  from  all 
excess  and  learn  the  lesson  of  submission  and  un- 
fold as  natural  law  dictates,  that  all  things  must 
develop  through  time  and  patience  and  with  un- 
doubting  trust  in  the  Creator,  w^ho  wields  the 
scepter  of  justice,  love  and  mercy  over  His  entire 
domain,  not  as  a  haughty  ambitious  king,  but  as 
a  wise  unselfish  parent. 


THE  WORLDLY  EXAMPLE 

^Itt*  ISDOM  gained  through  application  of  God's 
-Wtl  laws  brings  fruit  superior  to  all  knowledge 
served  from  books,  or  a  storage  of  memorized 
words  prepared  by  teachers  or  by  sages  who 
gathered  what  they  know  from  volumes  instead 
of  facts  presented  through  their  own  experience. 

Age  might  be  counted  from  the  start  of  educa- 
tion, and  wisdom  measured  by  application  of  the 
known  laws  that  govern  growth,  expansion  and 
the  perfection  of  things. 

Thus  step  by  step  the  heights  are  reached,  the 
obstructions  of  doubt  are  brushed  away  and  the 
upward  path  made  clear,  until  the  wisdom  gained 
illuminates  and  paves  the  way  to  other  avenues 
of  worth.  Such  knowledge  obtained  is  practical 
and  philosophical  beyond  the  so-called  erudition 
of  the  present  day.  If  such  a  course  were  taught 
the  developing  youth,  and  inculcated  in  the  un- 
folding mind  of  each  and  every  generation,  there 
would  be  fewer  mistakes  and  less  harm  com- 
mitted by  the  thoughtless  throng. 

It  is  not  always  absolute  evil  in  the  human 
h  art  or  mind  that  causes  unjust  deeds  and  cruel 
acts  towards  defenseless  members  of  the  human 
race.  Many  of  the  crimes  committed  are  the  se- 
quence of  a  false  idea  of  how  results  are  gained. 
Instead  of  a  close  application  of  the  laws  of  justice 
and  a  selection  of  the  straight  and  narrow  way 


THE    WORLDLY    EXAMPLE 


193 


to  heights  of  worldly  wealth  or  fame,  they  accept 
the  glittering  path  that  bewilders  and  allures 
and  seems  to  lead  directly  to  the  desired  goal. 

The  hasty  acts  of  theft,  falsehood  and  deceit  are 
supposed  to  yield  the  object  wished,  but  if  the 
laws  of  justice  were  applied  and  a  steadfast  course 
of  honesty  and  honor  were  pursued  a  double  sat- 
isfaction would  be  secured. 

The  object  hoped  for  would  be  gradually  ap- 
proached, and  the  peace  of  mind  not  to  be  sur- 
passed in  value  by  any  of  this  world's  wealth, 
would  be  the  rich  accompaniment. 

Some  short  or  irregular  w^ay  for  the  achieve- 
ment of  weight  or  height  of  the  human  form 
would  lead  to  some  disaster,  and  the  same  with  a 
desire  to  obtain  what  has  not  been  earned 
through  the  steady  progress  of  an  honest  prudent 
life.  One  might  as  well  endeavor  to  enlarge  the 
form,  to  lift  the  stature  of  a  child  to  that  of  full 
maturity  by  adding  flesh  to  flesh  outside,  but  in 
reason  all  should  know^  that  the  process  must  be 
slow,  and  only  by  and  through  the  laws  of  grad- 
ual nutrition  and  assimilation  of  minute  cells  de- 
veloped from  the  food  ingested  wall  the  slow  but 
steady  process  eventually  bring  the  hoped-for  size 
and  weight,  with  strength  to  well-organized 
bodies.  And  so  it  is  with  worldly  wealth  that 
ambitious  but  unwise  mortals  would  acquire. 

It  is  not  by  daring  strides  nor  unjust  acts,  nor 
by  capturing  profits  from  the  hard  earned  means 


194  iHli    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

another  brought  to  hand,  nor  by  any  course  save 
the  legitimate  accumulation  from  a  steady  march 
up  the  hill  of  toil,  that  either  wisdom  or  financial 
wealth  can  be  practically  acquired.  Any  leap  of 
injustice  to  facilitate  a  more  rapid  progress  on 
either  line,  through  strategy  or  cunning,  will 
rebound  upon  the  supposed  prosperous  recipient 
to  the  demoralization  of  what  might  have  been 
a  noble,  trustworthy  soul,  and  while  the  world's 
people  proclaim  success  and  applaud  the  achieve- 
ment, angels  weep  for  the  mistakes  so  boldly 
made  to  capture  what  was  rightfully  the  inherit- 
ance of  another. 

Demoralization  thus  takes  its  root,  and  the 
legitimate  fruit  of  such  a  course  is  the  lowering 
of  all  the  higher  principles  and  the  nobler  aims 
in  life  which  enhance  the  worth  of  individuals, 
of  communities  and  of  nations,  until  corruption 
in  every  form  takes  the  precedence  and  is  viewed 
as  an  evidence  of  wisdom  and  ability,  of  keen- 
witted business  qualities  to  be  admired  and  im- 
itated by  the  young  and  rising  generations. 

Such  so-called  examples  are  quoted  as  able  and 
successful  citizens  and  are  cited  as  lights  on  the 
highway  of  life,  thereby  increasing  the  herd  of 
unscrupulous  aspirants  to  equally  successful 
claims,  regardless  of  the  multitudes  that  suffer 
from  the  results  of  these  wholesale  gleanings  by 
the  avaricious,  ambitious,  self-satisfied  and  gener- 
ally acknowledged  "well-to-do"  examples. 


THE    WORLDLY    EXAMPLE 


195 


The  world  is  full  of  vanity  and  hope  of  emula- 
tion. Each  aspirant  is  devout  in  his  exploitations 
of  ideas,  whether  based  on  reason  or  animal  intui- 
tion, and  with  all  the  energy  he  possesses  he  pro- 
claims the  unmistakable  truth  of  the  vague  con- 
clusions he  may  have  formed  upon  an  uncertain 
basis,  with  flow  of  words  and  mystic  signs  which, 
to  such,  are  evidence  of  their  superior  origin. 

To  climb  the  hill  of  science,  to  compare  theories 
with  facts,  to  know  the  truth  as  Nature  and  rev- 
elation must  determine,  will  lead  no  man  astray, 
but  will  be  convincing  through  the  results  that 
emanate,  as  the  fruit  will  prove  the  value  of  the 
tree. 

The  way  is  not  mysterious,  there  is  nothing 
blinding  in  the  view,  the  straight  and  narrow 
path  of  righteousness  will  lead  to  all  that  is  real 
wealth,  to  all  that  is  desirable  and  good,  with  no 
regrets,  with  no  transgressions  to  disturb  the 
mind  nor  to  block  the  way  to  a  life  of  actual 
worth  to  the  possessor,  and  an  example  germane 
for  the  young  and  inexperienced,  to  help  them  on 
the  way  where  thorns  are  mingled  with  the  roses 
and  bitter  tinctures  every  sweet.  The  road  that 
leads  to  happiness  is  not  hidden  from  the  multi- 
tude nor  carved  out  to  suit  the  few. 

This  road  is  susceptible  of  expansion  to  suit  all 
travelers  on  the  way.  It  widens  to  any  extent 
to  give  passage  to  all  who  turn  their  steps  in  that 
direction,  and  the  more  that  enter  upon  this  road 


196  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

of  justice,  love  and  mercy  tlie  better  fitted  is  the 
path,  and  the  more  attractive  is  the  landscape, 
and  the  more  delightful  is  each  coming  day. 

There  are  no  regrets,  no  fears,  no  doubts  to 
check  the  onward  course,  for  all  is  clear.  The 
lamp  of  justice  is  replete  with  oil  and  the  flame 
is  never  dimmed. 

The  daily  practice  of  all  the  known  virtues 
give  elasticity  to  the  step  and  confidence  in  the 
power  that  leads.  Onward  and  upward  will  the 
spirit  tend  when  guided  by  the  hand  of  truth  and 
integrity,  of  wisdom  and  love. 

No  worldly  competition  can  ever  bring  soulful 
rest  by  following  in  the  trail  of  ambitious  men, 
from  which  nothing  can  be  gained  except  a  con- 
stant fear  of  loss,  or  a  doubt  as  to  the  moneyed 
value  of  what  he  claims. 

There  is  no  stability,  no  actual  peace  of  mind, 
for  fluctuation  and  unceasing  change  is  the  basis 
upon  which  wealth  is  built;  as  one  class  of  spec- 
ulators fails  another  builds  upon  their  misfor- 
tunes. When  necessity  demands  a  loosened  grasp 
upon  what  the  world  would  have,  another  with 
open  hand  will  clasp  the  treasure  as  his  own  and 
the  commercial  league  calls  this  success,  and 
such  instances  are  cited  as  laudable  examples  for 
the  young  aspirant  after  wealth ;  that  they  may 
discern  the  way  to  great  prosperity  regardless  of 
the  widow's  wail  or  the  cry  of  homeless  hungry 
children. 


THE    WORLDLY    EXAMPLE  197 

His  highest  aim  is  to  get,  to  gain,  to  garner 
in  and  fill  his  granary  with  the  first  threshed 
grain  irrespective  of  the  want  and  suffering  of 
the  old  or  young.  If  riches  he  can  get,  riches  he 
must  have  even  if  he  forfeit  his  most  manly  traits 
of  character  and  dwarfs  his  soul  in  the  effort  to 
accumulate  a  greater  amount  of  gold,  and  each 
addition  to  his  store  but  drives  another  nail  to 
hold  his  heart  more  closely  to  his  pelf,  and  to 
narrow  his  mind  toward  the  necessities  of  human 
kind..  Each  financial  gain  but  proves  his  need 
for  more  to  increase,  perhaps  twofold,  the  last 
success. 

So  his  riches  double  and  treble,  and  his  heart  is 
hardened  in  proportion  to  his  wealth,  while  the 
real  human  nature,  the  inner  man,  the  sympa- 
thetic Christ  principle  has  dwindled  down  to 
chaff.  The  grains  of  righteousness  have  been 
uprooted  by  the  overpowering  growth  of  selfish 
greed. 

After  his  earthly  race  is  run  and  his  body 
fails  to  hold  a  compact  with  his  soul,  the  latter 
relegates  the  outward  form  to  the  elements  of 
earth  and  the  new-born  entity  arises  to  a  con- 
sciousness of  its  own  identity  which  is  but  in 
embryo  compared  to  a  nature  tuned  to  the  vibra- 
tions of  a  more  exalted  course  of  mental  train- 
ing through  the  adoption  of  the  higher  laws  to  do 
to  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  to  you,  be 
merciful  to  the  erring  and  deal  justly  with  all 


198  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

men.  Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  help  the 
widow  and  the  orphan,  be  a  support  to  the  feeble 
and  the  weak.  In  all  ways  possible  live  the  life 
that  Christ  proclaimed  and  be  a  follower  of  this 
Son  of  Righteousness  who  is  the  Way,  who  is  the 
Door  and  whose  teachings  are  for  the  salvation  of 
all  mankind. 


® 


MAN    AND    ETERNITY 

11  IME,  O  time!    What  a  treasure  for  human 
1/      kind,  as  well  as  for  the  trees  and  grain,  for 
all  things  to  culminate  into  perfection. 

If  time  were  limited  to  weeks  or  months  or 
even  to  a  century,  nothing  would  be  done  worthy 
of  the  start,  but  everlasting  time  gives  oppor- 
tunity even  beyond  the  hopes  and  expectations 
of  the  most  optimistic. 

Eternity!  What  a  mighty  span,  so  far  beyond 
the  ken  of  man  that  no  mortal  can  project  con- 
scious reason  to  conceive,  and  yet  not  one  hour 
should  be  lost  to  the  use  of  man.  If  good  deeds 
and  great  achievements  are  secured,  they  count 
in  human  gain,  and  if  mistakes  are  made,  and 
hours  are  spent  in  sleep  or  inactivity  from  im- 
portant tasks,  these  periods,  that  by  some  are 
counted  lost,  are  only  time  for  physical  or  mental 


MAN    AND    ETERNITY 


199 


rest,  like  the  season  of  frost  and  snow,  of  ice  and 
chilling  winds  which  give  the  roots  a  chance  to 
rest  that,  in  the  spring,  they  may  again  take  on 
growth  and  power  to  assimilate  and  send  the 
inspiring  nourishment  to  limb  and  leaf,  to  flower 
and  fruit. 

The  months  and  years  of  so-called  idle  time, 
when  all  things  conspire  to  benumb  and  stultify 
the  energy  of  mind  and  body,  often  proves  to  be 
a  need,  a  real  necessity  for  the  stagnant  elements 
to  remain  to  fertilize  and  start  new  life  in  dor- 
mant cells  that  make  the  brain,  a  great  nerve 
center,  after  which  new  development  will  appear 
and  through  all  time  the  work  may  be  continued 
until    perfection    is   acquired. 

Favorable  conditions  give  the  recipients  of  life  a 
better  chance  to  start  into  a  conscious  state. 

The  germ  of  life  if  ripe  for  building  up  the 
perfect  man  and  woman  is  endowed  from  con- 
ception with  all  the  elements  of  either  sex  to 
merge  one  into  life  as  a  perfected  being,  with  a 
mind  equal  to  the  pending  need:  education  is 
required  to  fit  the  soul  for  an  existence  here  on 
earth  and  for  the  future  state,  when  the  mortal 
form  is  no  longer  required  by  the  budding  entity 
within. 

Earth  life  for  man  is  as  necessary  as  it  is  for 
the  germinating  plant  or  flowering  tree  and  all 
knowledge  here  acquired  is  an  entering  wedge 
to  a  more  illuminated  future. 


200  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Education  based  on  memory  of  what  we  read 
or  hear  is  not  the  stable,  useful  mental  food 
which  experience  brings  through  an  application 
of  mind  over  material  things. 

Knowledge  may  be  secured  through  sources 
insignificant.  Sometimes  words  from  lips  of 
children  start  a  train  of  thought  that  culminates 
in  some  great  project  or  discovery,  or  leads  to  the 
recognition  of  some  law  heretofore  unknown  al- 
though  eternally  existing. 

The  very  trees  and  plants  in  their  growth  and 
use  give  rise  to  philosophic  reasoning,  that  no 
cultured  mind  could  start.  The  busy  ant  and  in- 
dustrious bee  have  most  beautifully  and  success- 
fully illustrated  the  result  of  well-directed  in- 
dustry and  unceasing  perseverance,  to  the  en- 
couragement of  slothful  minds  that  otherwise 
could  not  have  been  stirred  to  energy  and  work. 

It  is  not  for  all  to  gain  a  start  from  volumes 
of  antiquated  lore,  nor  from  treatises  of  more 
recent  date  although  indited  by  illustrious  auth- 
ors, who  perhaps  could  not  demonstrate  through 
actual  practice  the  theory  they  had  so  emphatic- 
ally proclaimed. 

Theoretically  the  very  condensation  of  wisdom 
might  appear,  but  set  the  plans  in  motion,  apply 
the  rules  devised,  and  in  many  instances  failures 
would  result,  when  from  some  humble  unpreten- 
tious source  the  facts,  so  necessary  for  the  suc- 
cessful execution  of  some  great  work,  are  made 


MAN    AND   ETERNITY 


201 


evident,  and  from  this  unexpected  start  discov- 
eries are  made,  plans  suggested,  laws  elucidated 
and  important  results  are  evidenced,  and  the 
fame  of  this  humble  worker  becomes  world-wide 
and  blazes  upon  the  escutcheon  of  every  nation 
as  a  marvelous  discoverer  or  inventor  of  superior 
ability  and  unsurpassed  renown. 

Education  must  be  based  upon  practical  results 
rather  than  on  the  theories  handed  down  as  the 
only  true  and  certain  way  to  advance  the  human 
race,  while  self-taught  and  self-applied  knowledge 
builds  the  man  or  woman  to  greater  actual 
growth  than  either  can  attain  by  following  un- 
erringly the  trend  of  other  minds,  who  as  teach- 
ers claim  to  move  the  world  through  their  scien- 
tific and  philosophic  proclamations. 

The  seed  of  knowledge  lies  within.  The  germ 
awaits  the  quickening  touch  of  opportunity  and 
when  the  sprouts  begin  to  appear,  the  limbs  of 
thought  develop,  and  the  branches  of  experience 
reach  out  and  tremble  in  the  breeze  of  criticism, 
all  doubt  will  be  dispelled  under  the  accumulated 
evidence  of  innate  ability. 

As  a  tiny  plant  it  starts,  but  as  the  massive 
oak  it  terminates  as  far  as  the  world  can  know, 
but  man,  wath  his  genius,  his  aptitude,  his  reason 
and  his  skill,  all  attributes  of  Deity  to  extend 
beyond  the  limits  of  earthly  time,  surmounting 
his  hopes,  his  expectations  and  his  aspirations, 
proceeds   unchecked   by   time   and    increased   by 


202  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

circumstances,  until  the  far-reaching  branches  of 
the  Eternal  tree  will  widen,  grow  and  bear  the 
fruit  of  increased  knowledge,  wisdom  and  love 
through  all  eternity. 


(H 


BE   UP   AND    DOING 

II  HE  days  of  Pentecost  are  over  and  active 
1/  work  must  now  begin.  The  battle  axe  is 
sharpened  and  the  bugle  sound  is  heard.  Out  to 
battle  and  to  conquer  is  the  word. 

To  conquer  illness,  to  supplant  disease  by 
health,  to  scatter  seeds  of  truth,  to  raise  the 
mentally  dead  from  their  graves  of  ignorance,  to 
stanch  the  flow  of  vital  fluid  through  surgery's 
vain  attempt  to  mitigate  the  many  self-inflicted 
ills  of  life. 

The  world  is  full  of  false  ideas  and  unmitigated 
wrongs.  Error  is  stamped  upon  the  brows  of 
more  than  are  graced  by  the  bloom  of  truth. 
Virtue  is  abandoned  for  the  price  of  bread.  Men, 
and  women  too,  bow  to  the  Moloch  of  gold  and 
pelf  when  honor  would  win  the  reward  of  love 
and  trust. 

The  rage  for  wealth  in  worldly  things  makes 
mad  the  weak  and  unsuspecting,  and  in  the  race 
the  morally  just  and  true  are  trampled  on  as  dust 
upon  the  highway  or  grain  upon  the  floor. 


BE    UP   AND   DOING 


203 


To  live  is  to  be   with  God,  a  co-worker  with 
the   Christ,   a   world   redeemer,   a   planter   and   a 
reaper,  a  producer  and  a  rational  generator.     Of 
what  significance  would  have  been  the  world  had 
not   mankind   evolved?    Through   wisdom,   pride 
and  ambition  man  has  reclaimed  the  desert  waste  ; 
the  mountain  range  he  penetrates.     The  waters 
are  made  subservient  to  his  craft  of  stupendous 
size    and    weight.      The    world    through    man    has 
been  transformed.    This  terrestial  globe  was  like 
a  house  unfurnished,  with  material  ready  in  its 
crude  condition   for  man  to   mix  and  mold,   and 
convert   in    worth   and   beauty.      x\   world   of   in- 
estimated  value  lay  hidden  in  dark  recesses,  never 
to  be  evolved  until  man  with  his  intelligent  touch 
and  ever  active  brain  brought  to  view  some  of 
the  mysteries  and  wonders  he  knew  not  of,  until 
through  his  genius  and  unremitting  toil  develop- 
ments  aroused   a   deeper   sense   of   inquiry,   and 
every  year  and  every  day  some  new  expression 
comes  to  view. 

But  with  all  the  financial  wealth  attained  and 
all  the  joy  and  comfort  gained,  there  lies  as  yet 
hidden  from  the  keen  perception  of  these  world- 
workers  more  force  and  energy,  the  foundation 
of  more  worth  and  beauty  than  can  be  conceived 
by  the  most  philosophical  and  observing  minds. 

The  world  needs  more  light  and  wisdom  to 
facilitate  its  moral  and  spiritual  development. 
With  all  the  apparent  intelligence,  and  the  pro- 


204  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

lific  means  of  acquiring  information,  there  is  a 
fearful  drought  of  that  more  useful  knowledge 
bearing  upon  the  first  principle  of  Nature  as  a 
correct  means  for  practical  advancement  in  the 
great  school  of  modern  thought.  Our  ambition 
to  reach  beyond  our  present  capabilities  is  a 
stumbling  block  to  our  real  progression. 

To  be  an  ef^cient  workman  one  must  become 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  the  work  in  which 
he  is  about  to  engage,  before  he  can  successfully 
proceed  to  the  more  complex  operation  of  the 
machinery  with  which  he  deals.  And  so  with  the 
successful  attainment  of  knowledge  in  regard  to 
the  moral  and  physical  workshop  of  the  world. 

The  lessons  are  easy  of  acquirement,  and  are 
accessible  to  all  who  wish  to  be  successful  co- 
workers with  the  great  Architect  of  the  worlds, 
whose  law  is  order,  whose  work  is  just  and  syste- 
matic, whose  end  in  view  is  the  evolvement  of 
the  best  possible  condition  in  every  department 
of  the  universe  with  as  much  precision  of  struc- 
ture and  interest  in  the  welfare  and  destiny  of  the 
smallest  insect  as  in  the  most  exalted  entity  that 
inhabits  earth  or  the  supernal  spheres,  the  one 
being  equally  essential  as  the  other  for  the  pur- 
poses intended. 

Man  could  not  have  existed  had  not  the  insect 
world  preceded  him.  That  he  might  hold  his 
rightful  place  all  preceding  developments  were 
and  are  still  necessary  for  his  possible  entrance 


EXPERIMENTAL    KNOWLEDGE  205 

and  continued  existence  in  the  great  laboratory 
of  Nature  as  a  co-worker  for  the  further  advance- 
ment of  all  living  things  from  the  mollusk  to  man 
and  from  the  present  man  to  a  greater  likeness 
to  his  Maker. 

In  the  beginning  was  the  word,  and  the  word 
was  with  God,  and  the  possibilities  are  beyond 
our  conception.  Step  by  step  each  period  evolved 
a  determinate  grade  of  entities,  and  as  the  neces- 
sity presented  higher  unfoldments  were  the  se- 
quence, and  as  ages  upon  ages  preceded  the 
present  one,  so  eons  of  ages  must  follow  with  as 
great  a  change  from  one  period  to  another  as  has 
been  the  infallible  rule  until  the  human  merges 
into  the  Divine  with  powers  as  incomprehensible 
as  our  elemental  existence  was  coeval  with  time. 


EXPERIMENTAL   KNOWLEDGE 

Jp"  AY  up  no  treasures  here  on  earth,  for  all 
1^4'  things  are  unstable  and  not  worth  the  toil 
and  care,  where  thieves  break  through  and  steal 
and  moth  and  rust  destroy. 

The  comforts  and  conveniences  are  all  that  can 
be  utilized  while  in  the  mortal  form ;  more  be- 
comes a  burden  and  is  always  insecure,  w^hile  the 
riches  of  a  loving  heart,  the  sweet  forgiveness  of 


206  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

one    who   may   have   been   unjust,   will   bring   a 
lasting  grace,  an  ornament   that  cannot   fade. 

To  be  merciful  to  the  evildoer  and  excuse  the 
bold  and  rude ;  to  pave  the  way  that  others  tread 
and  make  their  paths  more  straight  and  smooth ; 
to  teach  the  uninformed  the  cause  of  suffering 
and  woe ;  to  mitigate  their  pains  and  remove  the 
brambles  from  their  way  will  win  a  rich  reward 
that  wall  evade  the  avaricious  and  unkind. 

Such  deeds  will  light  the  way  to  broader  fields, 
to  richer  soil  wherein  a  heavier  work,  with  great- 
er rewards,  will  come. 

The  brave  and  honest  worker  will  find  from 
day  to  day  a  greater  need  for  energy  and  skill, 
and  as  the  result  of  use  more  of  each  will  come 
and  will  unfold  until  every  faculty  of  mind  will 
be  brought  to  use  as  the  rose,  from  a  small  con- 
tracted bud,  blooms  forth  a  perfect  flower.  Work 
serves  as  richest  food  for  mind  and  muscle,  but 
like  rich  soil  for  plants,  there  must  be  a  limit  for 
the  best  effect.  So  work  for  mind  or  body  must 
not  be  overdone  or  the  result  will  be  disaster. 

The  strain  of  muscle  will  disqualify  the  mem- 
ber, and  over-tension  of  the  nerves  and  brain 
will  arrest  the  growth  and  strength  of  both.  A 
medium  course  will  lead  to  higher  bounds  than 
excess  can  ever  reach. 

Wisdom  and  discretion  are  guards  for  mind 
and  body,  and  when  these  important  factors  are 


EXPERIMENTAL    KNOWLEDGE  207 

ignored  a  shipwreck  is  as  sure  to  follow  as  the 
unguarded  craft  upon  the  sea.  From  want  of 
application  these  important  guards  to  human 
acts  lose  their  wanted  power  and  weaken  to  in- 
efficiency as  do  the  other  factors  of  the  human 
organism. 

If  human  nature  were  more  deeply  studied,  and 
education  were  better  managed  and  more  philo- 
sophically conducted,  and  the  necessities  of  youth 
were  considered  with  the  diligence  and  acumen 
that  attend  the  process  of  packing  upon  the 
memory  a  load  of  erudition  gleaned  by  older  and 
more  experienced  minds,  the  young  of  both  sexes 
would  be  better  prepared  for  the  practical  mem- 
bership of  society,  with  less  erratic  tendencies 
than  characterize  the  present  age. 

The  self-educated  men  and  women  constitute 
the  substantial  class  and  are  examples  of  the 
most  worthy.  What  they  claim  to  know  has 
been  the  result  of  their  own  research  and  experi- 
ence. Minds  thus  developed  can  give  a  reason 
for  results  and  can  testify  to  the  facts  as  they 
appear.  It  is  not  theory  and  opinions  based  upon 
what  others  have  gleaned  that  develops  the  minds 
of  men  and  women,  but  as  the  workman  can  tes- 
tify to  the  number  of  nails  required  for  a  given 
purpose,  so  may  the  well  trained  teacher  explain 
the  courses  to  be  pursued  to  win  success  in  all 
the  fields  of  human  culture,  so  that  the  student, 
like   a   partially   developed   flower,   may   from    day 


208  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

to  day  unfold  another  petal  and  present  a  deeper 
color  from  its  inward  growth. 

The  novitiate  of  science,  literature  or  art  may 
be  systematically  unfolded  equal  to  his  greatest 
possibility,  and  where  the  limit  is,  no  man  can 
say,  for  time  and  opportunity  will  continue  to 
bring  forth  greater  powers,  more  varied  resources 
will  be  made  manifest,  and  more  usefulness  will 
be  apparent,  as  application  is  made  of  the  know- 
ledge gained  which  prepares  the  way  for  further 
use,  until  the  quiet  unpretentious  child  becomes 
an  earnest  seeker  after  real  experimental  know- 
ledge which   is  truth  made  practical. 

The  most  inviting  lessons  are  thus  presented 
and  the  joy  of  life  increased  at  every  evolution. 
A  flower  becomes  more  beautiful  as  each  petal 
bursts  into  perfect  form  and  shape,  the  color 
deepens  and  the  perfume  blesses  all  who  come 
within  its  radius.  So  with  the  fully  unfolded 
human  flower  w^ho  scatters  useful,  self-discovered 
knowledge  to  serve  as  seeds  for  future  growth, 
that  the  mind,  with  unlimited  results,  may  project 
beautiful  light  and  seemingly  original  thoughts 
which  may  serve  as  levers,  as  stepping-stones 
from  one  generation  to  another  until  the  scintil- 
lations blaze  and  light  the  way  for  others  to 
succeed. 

This  life  may  fail  to  perfect  the  ever-growing 
powers  of  mind,  and  the  genius  that  is  possible 
may  be  further  developed  in  the  time  to  come, 


MAN    AND    WOMAN  209 

when  the  environments  have  changed  from  the 
material  to  those  of  a  higher  grade  with  oppor- 
tunities that  may  far  surpass  what  earth  affords, 
as  this  Hfe  is  but  the  primary  school  for  the  in- 
troduction to  what  awaits  the  anxious  souls, 
yearning  for  opportunity  and  ability  denied  on 
earth,  but  made  accessible  when  the  mind  is  pre- 
pared through  experiences  gathered  here  which 
serve  as  leaven  to  the  aspirations  which  can  never 
be  realized  in  this  preparatory  sphere. 


MAN  AND  WOMAN 

JjJ  ALLY  on,  rally  on.  the  battle  is  begun,  there 
JIX  is  no  time  to  wait  if  the  victory  is  won. 
There  is  a  need  of  captains,  of  generals  and  of 
cavalry ;  men  and  women  with  sabre  in  hand,  a 
moral  fight  is  on.  a  mental  strife  must  meet  the 
thoughtless,  jeering  mob  of  self-sufficient  agnos- 
tic dealers  in  human  form,  converting  women,  the 
mothers,  wives  and  sisters,  into  servants,  slaves, 
non-entities  to  meet  their  bold  impassioned  w^ays. 
Women  prepare  the  food  for  men  and  solace  them 
in  every  way  they  can ;  they  darn  their  socks  and 
keep  them  clean  and  respond  to  all  their  mortal 
wants,  then  they  are  bid  to  step  down  and  out, 


^10  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

unfit  to  wear  the  crown  of  human  honor  and 
majesty  equal  to  their  inborn  worth. 

The  war  is  on  and  women,  if  stern  and  true, 
will  win  the  day.  Brave,  fearless  women  lead 
the  van.  They  count  the  cost  of  what  they  seek, 
and  to  them  it  is  of  more  worth  than  the  love  of 
man  or  money.  It  is  liberty,  it  is  freedom  to 
stand  as  equals  among  the  sons  and  brothers ; 
to  voice  their  ow-n  ideas  and  to  vote  for  men  and 
women  they  know  are  true  to  the  cause  of  human 
rights. 

Women  bear  the  sons  and  nourish  them  from 
their  own  heart's  blood,  w^atch  and  care  for  them 
while  they  are  young,  that  when  advanced  to 
manhood  they  may  know  that  mothers  have  a 
well-earned  place  beside  the  men  they  bore,  and 
cherished,  and  for  whom  they  spent  the  greater 
portion   of  their   lives. 

Woman  has  now  come  to  the  front  in  rank  and 
file  to  fight  her  way  to  justice,  even  if  blood  must 
flow.  There  are  still  on  earth  Joans  of  Arc  who 
can  never  rest  until  they  see  right  predominate 
and  wrong  crushed  out,  whereby  the  sisters  and 
the  wives  may  stand  as  an  independent  self- 
respecting  portion  of  the  great  family  of  man.  They 
must  win  the  place  for  which  they  came,  as  the 
helpmeet  of  man,  not  his  galley  slave,  not  to 
bow  and  cringe,  to  beg  and  weep  over  their  de- 
pendent state,  not  to  be  crushed  and  held  be- 
neath the  value  of  the  beast ;  and  yet  these  are 


MAN    AND    WOMAN  211 

the  mothers  of  the  human  race,  than  which  no 
man  can  hold  a  higher  place,  yet  she  must  fight 
and  bleed  to  gain  her  proper  foothold  of  equality 
with  him. 

Now  while  the  battle  is  on  she  must  be  strong 
in  mind  and  muscle,  she  must  have  health  and 
nerve.  The  important  lesson  for  her  to  learn  is 
the  structure  of  her  own  body,  and  the  marvelous 
care  that  was  bestowed  to  insure  the  perfect  work- 
ing of  every  part,  and  she  must  know  that  law 
and  harmony  dwell  therein  ;  that  violated  physi- 
cal law  governing  the  physical  domain  will  have 
to  meet  the  penalty  of  suffering,  and  will  reflect 
weakness  and  submission  upon  more  distant 
parts  in  sympathy,  affecting  both  heart  and  mind. 

Cripple  woman  in  her  bodily  functions  through 
over-exertion  or  mental  strain,  and  at  once  the 
vigor  ends,  the  power  has  gone  and  she,  like  a 
wingless  bird,  can  no  longer  soar  above  the  thou- 
sand causes  that  favor  her  humility  and  servi- 
tude. She  loses  her  estate  and  her  contest  for 
liberty  and  right  will  fail.  The  contrast  is  very 
great  to  her  condition  in  perfect  health  with 
every  nerve  attuned  to  her  necessity :  her  think- 
ing power  clear ;  her  memory  a  living  mirror  of 
all  past  deeds ;  with  her  intuition  quick  that  she 
may  know,  without  deliberation  the  right  and 
wrong  of   doubtful   questions. 

Woman  in  her  normal  state  becomes  a  power 


212  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

that  even  man,  in  his  rational  mood  must  ac- 
knowledge and  should  loyally  extend  his  hand 
to  grasp  her  own  in  gratitude  and  admiration 
of  the  complete  oneness  of  the  two.  Man  with- 
out woman  is  but  half  equipped.  In  any  enter- 
prise and  in  all  the  walks  of  life  her  counsel 
and  advice,  her  presence  and  her  influence,  have 
been  found  most  helpful.  Man's  better  nature 
lies  dormant  when  unassociated  with  the  female 
sex,  his  gallantry,  his  wit,  his  sympathy  and 
love  have  but  little  time  or  occasion  to  express 
themselves.  His  polish  and  his  prudence,  his 
higher  attributes  are  concealed,  lie  dormant 
awaiting  the  natural  stimulant  of  woman,  his 
opposite  in  general  characteristics,  yet  a  nat- 
ural combination  to  awaken  all  of  the  innate 
qualities  that  are  adornments  to  his  character. 
She  converts  him  from  the  stern,  decided,  aus- 
tere, determined,  uncompromising,  calculating  com- 
mercial devotee,  to  the  true  gentleman,  the  courteous, 
self-sacrificing,  genial  companion  that  he  is  when 
woman's  magic  presence  sets  fire  to  his  slumber- 
ing self.  Woman  is  not  herself  without  the 
proper  association  and  commingling  of  the  oppo- 
site sex,  a;id  the  very  difference  between  the 
two  brings  the  light  and  beauty  of  both  to  the 
full  recognition  of  their  associates  and  friends 
if  not  to  their  own  personal  recognition. 


© 


THE   SOUL  AND   BODY 

II  HE  suffering  of  humanity  is  too  great  to  bear. 

1/  Many  are  bound  in  grief  and  many  in  sad 
despair.  To  reclaim  both  classes  and  all  who 
are  oppressed  is  a  work  that  angels  would  per- 
form for  the  good  of  earth's  inhabitants  and  of 
the  sphere  beyond.  The  influence  of  physical 
and  mental  suffeiing  upon  the  spirit  world  is 
to  hold  it  in  sympathy,  and  the  decarnate  con- 
scious spirits  that  would  otherwise  rapidly  ascend 
in  the  scale  of  spiritual  growth  and  power,  are 
held  in  the  meshes  of  earth's  infirmities  in  their 
efforts  to  relieve  and  reclaim  the  unfortunate 
victims  to  whom  they  are  attracted,  who  often 
suffer  more  than  the  pangs  of  death  they  so  much 
dread,  but  which  are  mere  shadows  compared 
to  the  daily  experiences  that  many  must  endure, 
nevertheless  the  work  of  reclaiming  to  health 
and  happiness  the  sufferers  of  earth  becomes  a 
great  lever  to  spiritual   ascension. 

There  is  no  idleness  for  the  emancipated  soul, 
as  law.  order  and  activity  are  characteristics  of 
both  spheres.  To  be  released  from  the  environ- 
ments of  the  physical  body  does  not  necessitate 
a  cessation  of  activities.  After  the  transition  the 
released  spirit  has  freedom  with  an  increase  of 
psyschological  power  to  influence  mortals 
through  the  process  of  suggestion,  or  what  to  the 
subject  would  seem  to  be  self-illumination.     Any 


214  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TKME 

relief  thus  afforded  earth's  peo])le  is  not  only  a 
real  delight  to  the  invisible  workers,  but  it  lifts 
the  willing  spirit  to  a  greater  comprehension  of 
justice,  mercy  and  love. 

When  the  body  has  its  rightful  play,  unhamp- 
ered by  disease,  as  the  result  of  ignorance  or  neg- 
lect of  nature's  laws,  and  the  mind  is  divinely 
bent,  the  way  to  salvation  will  be  unobstructed 
and  the  road  made  clear  and  smooth  with  angels 
always  ready  and  willing  to  direct  or  lead  the 
traveller  on  and  upward  to  the  spheres  where 
wisdom  has  control;  and  joyfully  is  the  task  per- 
formed when  earth's  inhabitants  are  prepared 
to  turn  from  carnal  pleasures  and  from  the  paths 
that  lead  to  sin  and  sore  affliction  if  not  to  atrophy. 

Earth's  inhabitants  have  the  task  before  them 
to  arouse  the  slumbering  energies  of  crushed  and 
bleeding  souls,  many  of  which  see  no  redemption 
or  relief  for  them  except  through  death,  if  not 
annihilation.  The  many  efforts  made  to  throw 
off  the  shackles  of  infirmity  and  disease  have 
resulted  in  greater  suffering  and  despondency 
until  all  hope  is  blotted  out  and  no  alternative 
is  left  but  to  patiently  resign  to  what  they  con- 
sider fate. 

Some  light  upon  the  physical  condition,  how 
to  live  to  maintain  health,  and  the  causes  of 
diseases  many  of  which  could  be  averted,  would 
act  as  a  natural  stimulant  to  a  fresh  and  favor- 
able start  toward     spiritual     development.       A 


THE    SOUL   AND    BODY  215 

health}'  body  is  the  basis  of  a  healthy  mind  and 
when  these  co-operate  the  leaves  and  buds  of 
spiritual  unfoldment  commence  their  work  of 
bearing  a  promise  of  the  perfect  fruit  that  was 
designed  for  all. 

The  mutual  interests  of  these  great  families  of 
spiritual  entities  are  so  interblended  and  inter- 
woven that  one  part  cannot  suffer  unless  the 
other  sphere  will  be  retarded,  and  it  is  for  the  mu- 
tual interest  and  increasing  welfare  of  both 
worlds  that  they  should  work  together  for  the 
great  achievement  both  may  gain.  It  is  not  a 
necessity  that  mortals  should  lay  aside  their  hab- 
iliments of  earth  to  become  awakened  to  the 
spiritual   light  they   may  receive. 

The  possibilities  are  here  and  now,  if  mortals 
would  but  accept  the  advantages  so  freely  prof- 
fered. The  fashions  of  each  coming  season  hold 
the  mind  pinioned  to  appearance  irrespective  of 
the  result,  and  the  compounds  that  are  used  as 
food  frustrate  digestion  and  leave  the  body  in- 
firm. The  daring  feats,  the  reckless  exertion  and 
unlimited  mental  tension,  the  worry  and  toil  for 
the  wealth  of  this  world  does  much  to  suppress 
the  higher  attributes  of  man's  better  nature,  and 
to  prevent  the  advancement  of  the  "all  in  all" 
within.  When  the  physical  machinery  fails  to 
co-operate  with  the  real  "I  am,"  that  selfhood  is 
compelled  to  yield  its  wonted  activities  to  the 
decree  of  the  diseased  and  crippled  form. 


216  Tin-:  logic  of  a  life  time 

The  two  must,  for  the  greatest  advantage, 
work  together  in  harmony  while  united  on  earth, 
but  from  causes  which  many  times  might  be 
averted,  the  greater  part,  the  spiritual  must  suc- 
cumb to  the  physical,  like  the  workings  of  the 
vegetable  kingdom  where  the  perfection  of  fruit 
is  often  frustrated  through  some  malcondition 
of  tree.  The  soul  or  spirit  within  is  often  re- 
strained from  its  outreaching  efforts  and  aspir- 
ations for  higher  conditions  through  a  diseased 
and  disqualified  state  of  the  body;  physical  suf- 
fering which  need  not  exist  if  the  laws  that  gov- 
ern the  growth  and  perfection  of  the  wonderful 
mechanism  of  the  human  body  were  compre- 
hended and  obeyed.  The  body  is  a  complicated 
mass  of  material  substance,  a  wonderful  creation 
well  fitted  to  all  the  wants  of  the  invisible  occu- 
pant. Each  and  every  part  is  constituted  for 
a  special  purpose,  with  scientific  precision  and 
matchless  economy  of  space  and  material,  in 
the  midst  of  the  most  elaborate  outlay  of  the 
finest  vitalized  substance,  all  wisely  arranged  and 
built  up  for  the  soul's  greatest  good.  This  won- 
derful combination  of  organs  and  tissues,  of  liq- 
uids and  solids,  of  cells  and  molecules,  so  beau- 
tifully fitted  for  life's  valuable  purpose  should 
be  cherished  above  all  the  wealth  of  the  world. 
Children  should  be  early  informed  of  the  value  of 
their  own  bodies  and  taught  to  respect  all  parts 
as  important  factors  in  the  great  living,  throb- 


CHOOSE    WISELY 


217 


bing  machinery  upon  which  the  real  self  specifi- 
cally depends  for  its  practical  elaboration  into 
youth  and  valuable  maturity. 

No  injury  should  be  imposed  upon  the  body 
and  no  wrong  done  by  neglect.  There  must  be 
no  over-indulgence  in  food,  in  indolence  or  exces- 
sive activity.  The  system  should  not  be 
tempted  by  any  stimulants  or  narcotics  that  may 
become  a  habit  and  a  supposed  necessity  which 
might  be  to  the  sensitive  nerves  like  a  selfish,  if 
not  a  fiendish  comrade  that,  by  day  and  by  night, 
robs  it  of  vitality  and  leaves  it  a  helpless  victim. 
Human  beings,  as  responsible  creatures  have  no 
right  to  mar  the  spirit  visage,  nor  scar  the  soul 
by  any  wrongs  committed  that  injure  the  well 
being  of  the  body,  for  every  injury  inflicted  will 
be  reflected  upon  the  soul,  not  alone  for  its  pres- 
ent wrong,  but  for  time  to  come. 


CHOOSE  WISELY 


01 


in  HE  great  world  as  understood  by  man  is  but 
1/  a  speck  on  the  face  of  the  universe.  Worlds 
upon  worlds  revolving  in  system  and  order,  all 
at  the  will  and  under  the  control  of  the  Creator, 
which  Creator  might  be  defined  as  law  and  order, 
wisdom  and  love  based  on  supreme  intelligence. 


218  Tilt;    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

All  of  these  attributes  pervade  every  thing-  from 
the  molecule  to  the  atom,  from  the  atom  to  the 
most  exalted  species  in  all  of  creation's  unfold- 
mcnt,  and  everything  must  submit  to  the  effect  of 
what  had  preceded  and  also  to  that  by  which  it 
accompanies. 

There  is  no  special  arrangement  for  one  class 
of  beings  in  preference  to  another.  All  are  equal 
in  the  great  evolutionary  process  including  the 
infant  and  the  octegenarian.  The  unfolding 
flower  and  the  giant  oak  tree.  There  is  no  par- 
tiality, no  exceptions.  If  the  seed  of  a  plant  is 
protected  and  covered  w^ith  earth,  has  sunlight 
and  moisture  it  makes  its  advent  as  a  growing 
substance,  but  if  it  had  been  cast  on  a  rock  or 
into  the  river,  however  choice  the  seed,  there 
would  be  no  growth,  as  the  result  of  unreasonable 
planting  and  so  it  is  in  all  the  departments  of 
life.  Good  seed  sown  on  good  soil  will  take 
root  and  become  prolific.  It  is  not  that  one  seed 
is  preferred  to  another  or  is  a  favorite  with  the 
Creator,  and  the  same  law  prevails  in  the  human 
family. 

One  person  seems  favored  beyond  many  others. 
success  is  imminent  in  all  his  efforts,  while  in 
another  defeat  is  the  seeming  reward  of  every 
attempt  to  do,  or  to  be  what  the  mind  suggested. 
Where  there  is  defeat  there  must  be  a  cause,  and 
it  is  the  privilege  of  the  sower  of  seed  to  find 
the  right  soil,  or  the  seed  will  be  wasted  on  the 


CHOOSE    WISELY  219 

rocks  and  by  the  wayside  where  weeds  and  bram- 
bles choke  and  destroy.  Many  a  farmer  has  failed 
in  his  old  worn-out  fields  where  the  seed  time  and 
harvest  had  exhausted  the  soil  of  all  its  best 
elements.  So  with  the  seeds  of  righteousness. 
The  minds  of  people  are  often  barren  to  the  efifect 
of  sterling  truth. 

Weeds  and  worthless  growth  may  flourish,  but 
the  solid  seed  of  truth  and  progressive  greatness 
find  no  receptacle  for  unfoldment.  The  cares  of 
the  world,  the  hope  of  financial  success,  the  stern 
necessities  of  life  as  they  are  too  often  viewed, 
throw  shadows  where  sunlight  would  glow  if  the 
mind  were  free  to  accept  it. 

The  instability  of  human  kind  is  similar  to  the 
efifect  of  too  much  plowing  and  pruning  of  plants. 
Ambition  prompts  a  change  without  knowledge 
of  what  that  change  should  be,  so  homes  are  rup- 
tured and  distance  scaled  in  the  hope  of  great 
success,  but  by  the  time  the  new  district  is  at- 
tained the  means  has  vanished  and  the  foothold 
slight,  so  thousands  stand  in  peril,  as  the  voy- 
ager holds  to  the  ship  for  safety  when  there  is 
danger  of  the  vessel  sinking,  he  can  neither 
return  to  land  nor  hope  for  security  on  board  the 
broken  craft. 

The  busy  whirl  of  man  is  significant  of  rapid 
wear  of  brawn  and  brain.  Economy  of  both  would 
yield  a  rich  reward  where  true  worth  is  estimated 
above  the  glitter  of  the  world.    To  do  v/ell  what 


220  TJIE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    JIME 

is  l)cin<:;^  done  weighs  licavicr  in  the  scale  of  jus- 
tice than  tasks  half  performed.  Right  doing  gains 
a  premium  from  both  God  and  man,  while  negli- 
gence and  over-haste  wins  a  discount  on  both 
worth  and  price.  To  do  but  little  and  do  it  well 
wnU  bring  a  workman  to  the  front,  and  when 
value  is  added  to  expedition  there  wmII  be  a  de- 
mand, an  urgency  for  such.  Vacancies  will  al- 
ways be  held  for  excellent  workmen  whether  in 
mechanics  or  literature. 

A  well  balanced  mind  with  steady  hand  and  a 
comprehension  of  what  is  required,  will  warrant 
opportunity  for  either  sex  and  years  of  experi- 
ence will  be  no  bar  to  the  achievement  of  suc- 
cess. The  glitter  and  glamour,  the  scintillation 
of  junior  years  entice  the  inexperienced,  but  to 
the  rational  and  observing  class  the  meritorious 
will  be  the  choice  in  which  value  is  estimated 
above  the  noise  and  clamor  of  the  more  impul- 
sive and  less  conscientious.  This  will  hold  good 
in  mental  attainments  as  well  as  in  mechanics. 
The  ideas  and  decisions  of  the  mature,  the  self- 
made  man  are  based  upon  a  sure  and  firm  foun- 
dation, the  experience  of  actual  contact  with  the 
world  and  its  resources. 

The  estimate  of  men  and  their  works  are  of 
more  value  through  being  conversant  with  the 
results  of  both,  and  from  such  judgment  might 
be  evolved  that  which  would  be  as  a  staff  to  the 
less    experienced.      What   has   been    experienced 


BENEFICIAL    INFLUENCES  221 

once  from  a  given  source  will  be  an  earnest  of 
what  may  be  expected  again  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances. 

Experience  is  a  faithful  teacher  and  not  to  be 
discredited  nor  to  be  shuffled  ofif  as  the  fruit  of 
senile  conclusions,  unworthy  on  account  of  years. 
Varied  opportunities  add  worth  to  conclusions 
and  opinions  based  on  facts. 

Youth  may  imagine  and  conjecture  and  to  them 
the  future  glitters  with  magnified  hope  and  lofty 
aspirations.  Then  the  elastic  step,  the  piercing 
eye  and  upright  form  often  win  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent than  wisdom  and  real  worth.  The  ambition 
and  self-assurance  of  the  coming  age  of  men  and 
women  force  upon  the  credulous  and  less  discrim- 
inating minds  a  superiority  unwisely  founded. 
Old  wine  is  superior  to  the  new.  Fully  devel- 
oped fruit  and  grain  holds  more  nutriment  than 
the  tender  unripened  seed.  The  tried  and  true  in 
all  the  walks  of  life  are  the  choice  products  of 
existence  and  such  worth  is  what  existence 
means. 


BENEFICIAL  INFLUENCES 

E  will  help  you  in  your  march  through  life. 
We  will  bring  to  you  the  light,  as  candle- 
bearers  of  the  Lord.  It  is  so  ordained  that  earth 
must  have  spiritual  light  as  well  as  solar  rays. 


m 


222  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Man  can  no  more  flourish,  grow  and  thrive  on  the 
higher  plane  of  life  without  this  light  to  guide 
him  upward  in  thought  and  aspiration  toward  the 
source  from  whence  he  had  his  origin,  than  a  plant 
can  rise  from  the  cold  dead  soil  if  there  were  no 
sun  to  lift  it  up  into  the  atmosphere  that  it  may- 
imbibe  nutriment  through  its  stalk  and  leaves  to 
raise  it  toward  its  source  of  life. 

Not  only  does  the  central  stalk,  the  parent  of 
all  other  parts,  receive  the  benediction  from  this 
fount  of  light  and  life,  but  every  branch,  great 
and  small,  every  leaf  and  flower  has  an  equal 
share,  or  all  that  it  can  accept  from  this  same 
generous  source.  It  is  so  with  every  plant 
whether  it  yields  wholesome  fruit,  or  from  it 
poison  is  extracted. 

So  God  sheds  his  spiritual  light  with  equal 
brilliancy  on  all,  the  wise  and  just,  the  great  and 
small,  whether  inclined  to  good  or  evil.  The  light 
of  wisdom,  the  warmth  of  love  is  free  for  all  to 
share,  and  in  proportion  to  our  ability  and  desire 
the  illumination  will  increase.  The  living  fire  will 
glow  to  warm  and  lift  the  object  higher  whether 
it  be  plant  or  man. 

To  encourage  the  growth  of  plants  that  they 
may  flower,  or  a  tree  that  it  may  fulfill  its  destiny 
of  bearing  fruit ;  that  either  may  be  beautiful  and 
worth  the  place  they  fill,  they  must  be  cultivated. 
The  broken  rocks  and  dry  clods  of  earth  must  be 
removed  from  the  withering  roots. 


BENEFICIAL    INFLUENCES  223 

The  soil  must  be  made  loose  and  free  to  permit 
the  moisture  to  filter  through  as  nourishment.  If 
forest  trees  are  crowded  too  near  each  other  one 
must  be  removed  that  the  other  may  have  a 
chance  for  life,  for  its  growth  and  development  or 
the  tree  itself  must  be  removed  to  some  more  fa- 
vorable position,  where  there  will  be  less  pressure 
on  its  roots  and  more  space  to  spread  its  limbs 
to  get  its  share  of  light  from  the  unselfish  sun 
that  shines  for  all  the  trees  on  earth  if  they  can 
but  catch  the  rays. 

Light  and  moisture  like  God's  love  for  man,  are 
not  more  partial  to  one  plant  than  to  another,  but 
if  through  the  over-shadowing  branches  of  the 
congregated  mass  of  trees  and  from  the  under- 
brush that  has  collected  and  dead  leaves  that 
smother,  the  plant  is  over-ruled  and  much  re- 
tarded in  its  growth  and  functions,  the  actual 
worth  may  never  be  made  manifest. 

The  law  holds  good  with  all  living  things.  Na- 
ture calls  for  freedom,  for  a  chance  to  grow 
whether  physically  or  spiritually  as  in  case  of 
man.  If  he  is  overpowered  by  minds  that  tower 
high,  he  is  held  in  stern  submission  and  is  thus 
intellectually  and  spiritually  retarded  to  the  detri- 
ment of  his  natural  use  and  becomes  subject  to  the 
opinions  of  others  through  the  influence  of  well 
selected  language  or  the  overshadowing  effect  of 
numbers.  He  becomes  paralyzed  and  made  to  feel 
his  hold  on  life  almost  depends  upon  a  union  with 


224  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

the  sect,  denomination  or  class  of  persons  under 
whose  influence  he  has  dwelt,  but  poorly  thrived, 
for  want  of  room  and  freedom  to  develop  in  any 
other  direction.  He  cannot  grasp  and  hold  to  a 
truth  unpopular  to  the  masses,  but  he  must  yield 
his  own  opinions  to  the  stronger  intellectual 
power  and  he  must  sanction  creeds,  doctrines  and 
beliefs  that  older  and  more  influential  members 
have  held  and  taught. 

The  novitate  or  under-growth  of  this  forest  of 
more  imposing  human  kind  is  not  expected  or 
perhaps  is  not  permitted,  to  evolve  a  single  orig- 
inal thought  counter  to  the  established  ideas  of 
the  ruling  numbers,  and  truth  may  thus  be 
smothered  that  would  have  led  him  higher  and 
into  more  liberal  fields  of  thought.  Thus  he 
dwindles  mentally  into  the  condition  of  restrict- 
ion, and  inferior  soul  development.  He  is  fet- 
tered spiritually ;  his  aspirations  are  reversed 
by  the  overpowering  effect  of  others.  So  to  give 
his  mind  the  natural  inheritance  of  freedom,  and 
his  soul  illumination  by  the  fire  of  inspiration 
brought  from  the  higher  spheres,  he  must  assert 
his  unity  with  the  source  of  love  and  wisdom, 
must  break  loose  from  these  galling  fetters, 
from  false  conclusions  fastened  by  ages  of  trans- 
mitted error  based  upon  tradition  and  held  as 
sacred. 

Light,  more  light  is  needed  and  the  taper  of 
spiritual  illumination  is  fixed  in  every  soul  wait- 


LIFE    AND    ITS    SEQUENCE 


225 


ing  to  be  trimmed  and  touched  by  Divine  con- 
trol. 


LIFE  AND  ITS  SEQUENCE. 

^ttttHAT  is  life  but  existence  crowned  by  death. 
!w9  The  ever-reaching  arms  of  God  extend 
towards  all  His  productions  whether  that  pro- 
duct be  a  man  or  beast,  wliether  it  be  a  tree  or 
rock,  an  atom  or  an  element.  All  are  of  his  pro- 
jection, all  are  close  akin,  and  all  are  from  and 
within  the  loving  grasp  of  Him,  the  Father. 

We  need  set  up  no  molten  form  of  brass  nor 
gold  ;  we  need  no  outw^ard  image  to  represent  the 
Soul  Eternal.  The  essence  of  all  created  matter 
from  the  elemental  through  the  different  grades 
must  be.  There  is  a  need  for  every  form  and 
shape,  for  every  species  of  the  animal  and  vege- 
table creation.  All  there  is  culminates  in  the 
human  race ;  all  else  preceded  man  ;  all  were  re- 
quired ;  all  had  a  place  to  fill  to  prepare  the  way, 
to  make  ready  for  man's  advent ;  for  the  possi- 
bility of  his  development,  he  being  the  object  in 
view.  All  things  preceding  him  were  necessary 
for  his  crowning  gift  of  intellect,  of  reason,  of 
the  attributes  of  hope  and  faith,  and  of  the  capac- 
ity to  aspire,  even  to  reach  the  highest  goal,  to 


"^K)  TIIK    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

afifiliate  and  blend  with  the  Supreme,  and  to  be 
at  one-ment  with  the  Ahnighty  Architect  who 
knew  of  the  proportions  as  He  built.  He  is  the 
source  of  all  the  varied  unfoldments  that  were, 
and  are,  and  will  he  without  bc.q"innino;-  and  w'th- 
out  end. 

All  this  mighty  production,  that  man  might 
have  a  given  place,  a  hold  on  life,  an  existence  in 
the  form,  with  all  the  qualifications  meet  for 
companionship  and  oneness  with,  and  in  the 
image  of  the  Lord.  It  was,  and  is,  and  ever  will 
be  as  necessary  that  these  segmentary  parts 
should  first  appear,  and  that  each  should  hold  its 
rightful  place  as  in  the  building  of  a  temple  or 
a  church. 

It  is  necessary  to  have  the  foundation  laid  and 
permanently  secure,  then  every  rock  and  brick, 
every  board  and  pane  of  glass  must  occupy  the 
place  it  was  prepared  to  fit. 

The  plaster  that  cements  the  segregated  parts 
must  be  duly  mixed,  a  certain  grade  of  sand  that 
will  serve  the  purpose  best,  and  every  grain,  how- 
ever small,  must  come  in  to  fill  its  useful  place. 
Every  nail  and  screw  that  holds  the  parts  to- 
gether is  an  important  factor  in  the  edifice.  The 
metal  must  not  be  inferior,  nor  the  floor  be  made 
of  fragile  wood ;  it  must  all  be  well  seasoned,  and 
carefully  fitted. 

This  important  structure  must  be  the  result  of 
intellectual   work,   for   in   the     human     mind     it 


LIFE    AND    ITS    SEQUENCE 


227 


dwelt  before  it  was  evolved  in  a  material  form. 
It  was  the  result  of  thought  and  reason  from  the 
mind  of  man,  of  the  far-seeing,  well-balanced  hu- 
man architect  who  conceived  the  need  of  every 
article  he  used.  He  could  estimate  the  quantity 
of  every  substance  introduced ;  the  cost  of  boards 
and  bricks,  and  could  decide  the  entire  expense. 

Had  not  the  foundation  been  equal  to  the  strain 
imposed,  the  structure  would  not  have  served 
the  end  in  view.  Before  the  structure  could  as- 
sume the  form  in  mind,  there  must  be  material 
produced,  rocks  must  evolve  to  meet  the  impera- 
tive demand  for  walls  of  strength.  Trees  must 
grow  to  secure  boards  of  oak  or  pine,  ^iletal  must 
be  condensed  from  elements  more  refined  than 
rocks  or  sand  to  bind  the  parts  together. 

Transparent  glass  must  be  conceived  through 
mans  prolific  intellect  to  fit  it  for  a  useful  place 
in  this  great  edifice,  and  when  all  this  is  done, 
the  dome  or  head  is  built,  and  then  the  bell,  O 
the  bell!  how  comprehensive!  what  complications 
must  be  thought  out,  what  plans,  w^hat  construc- 
tive ability  is  required  to  make  a  bell  to  toll  the 
solemn  sounds  meet  for  the  occasion  to  announce 
the  death  of  some  distinguished  person ;  or  to 
sound  the  welcome  ring  at  the  birth  of  some  ex- 
pected heir,  then  the  chime  of  merry  tones  to  ex- 
press delight  and  joy  of  some  gay  holiday;  or 
perhaps  to  speak  the  word  that  some  disaster 
threatens,  as  in  case  of  fire  or  danger;  or  on  the 


228  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Sabbath  day  to  strike  the  hour  for  all  to  congre- 
gate to  offer  thanks  to  God  for  all  mercies  granted 
and  to  ask  for  strength  to  resist  all  evil,  that  they 
may  duly  contemplate  the  rapid  course  of  time 
on  earth,  and  if  they  desire  their  rightful  inherit- 
ance they  must  work  for  the  good  of  others  as 
well  as  for  themselves. 

The  slightest  sound  of  this  great  bell  has  a 
world  of  meaning;  its  notes  proclaim  the  import- 
ant fact  that  through  the  inventive  power  of  man 
metals  may  be  made  to  speak. 

That  this  entire  structure  was  made  complete  is 
a  little  evidence  of  human  power,  but  when  com- 
pared to  the  world's  Inventor  it  only  proves  man's 
insignificance.  From  the  word  of  God  the  world 
was  thought  into  existence  with  worlds  upon 
worlds  revolving,  and  yet  the  place  the  human 
species  holds  ranks  next  to  his  Creator  whose 
loving  hand  leads  him  on,  and  ever  higher. 


HOW  TO  BE  HAPPY 

II  HE  road  to  happiness  and  peace  is  not  a  flow- 
1/  ery  path  of  ease.  It  is  a  steep  and  rugged 
hill  we  climb,  and  to  reach  its  summit  a  greater 
period  will  be  required  than  life  on  earth  affords. 
The   journey   doubtless   will   be   continued   after 


01 


HOW    TO    BE    HAPPY 


229 


death,  which  the  world  pronounces  the  transition, 
from  this  to  a  higher  life.  All  along  from  child- 
hood up,  flowers  are  scattered  on  the  way,  and 
each  step  we  take  or  each  transition  that  we  make 
carries  us  higher  on  the  road,  if  we  but  pluck  the 
roses  as  we  go. 

Every  ill  in  life  has  different  sides  to  view  and 
when  the  shadows  turn  their  face  to  us  they  may 
for  a  time  obscure  the  sun ;  but  as  the  clouds  of 
day  melt  and  fall,  or  evaporate  and  pass  away, 
so  will  the  effects  of  sorrow  leave  its  shining  ray 
to  light  the  weary  soul  with  hope,  to  level  down 
the  hills  and  smooth  the  path  for  another  day. 
So  light  and  shade  meet  and  blend  and  pave  the 
way  for  us  to  journey  on  to  reach  the  hoped-for 
goal. 

It  is  so  with  all  there  are  no  exceptions.  The 
holy  Man  of  God  in  whom  so  much  grace  was 
found  did  not  pass  His  life  on  earth  without  such 
vicissitudes,  even  from  birth  until  his  last  days 
here. 

Chased  and  hunted  when  a  child,  condemned 
and  thwarted  on  his  way,  threatened  and  sus- 
pected, tired  and  weary,  He  never  swerved,  nor 
turned  away  discouraged  by  defeats  imposed, 
even  by  those  who  claimed  to  be  His  friends,  but 
onward  and  upward  His  faithful  steps  were  bent. 

His  brief  life  was  spent  in  doing  good,  relieving 
pain,  giving  sight  and  hearing  to  the  blind  and 
deaf;  lifting  up  the  palsied  feet     and     removing 


2.30  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

burdens  from  the  backs  of  persons  not  oppressed 
as  much  as  He. 

The  happiness  that  came  to  Him  was  not 
throug^h  any  effort  that  he  made  for  selfish  gain, 
but  from  His  attempt  to  relieve  others  of  their 
burdens.  And  the  comfort  that  filled  His  soul 
when  His  daily  work  was  done  brought  a  re- 
ward surpassing  all  that  gold  could  bring; 
whether  to  adorn  His  person  in  rich  apparel  or 
lift  above  His  head  a  stately  palace  such  as  am- 
bitious kings  require  to  satisfy  their  pride. 

He,  our  good  and  faithful  brother  to  whom  all 
Christians  look  as  their  example  and  their  leader, 
from  whom  they  ask  the  promised  benediction 
for  faithful  works  performed. 

Howbeit  the  paths  He  walked.  His  acknowl- 
edged followers  of  the  present  day  would  not  pre- 
sume to  tread,  although  the  promise  by  him  was 
made  that  all  who  followed  in  the  path  of  right- 
eousness that  He  pursued,  who  loved  their  fel- 
lowmen  as  He  had  done,  who  would  plead  for 
mercy  as  mercy  had  been  taught  by  Him,  should 
share  the  blessings  in  the  future  that  were  in 
store  for  Him. 

The  life  of  brotherhood  should  be  lived  as  well 
as  taught,  that  to  work  for  others  good  should  be 
the  rule  rather  than  to  work  for  self ;  to  help  the 
weary  on  their  way,  to  be  a  stafY  upon  which  the 
lame  may  trust,  to  live  and  act  the  good  that 
many  preach,  but  often  practice  grudgingly. 


SUCCESSFUL    GENERATION 


231 


Then  to  reach  the  object  so  much  sought,  let  us 
not  wait  for  happiness  tomorrow,  as  if  it  were  a 
temple  being  built,  but  pick  it  up  from  day  to  day, 
from  hour  to  hour,  for  happiness  is  the  fruit  of 
seeds  we  sow  and  the  growth  will  be  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  we  scatter  upon  ground  prepared 
for  them,  and  the  soil  is  always  fit  if  we  are  ready 
to  sow  the  seed  for  others  good,  and  the  peace 
and  happiness  that  passeth  understanding  will 
be  the  harvest  beyond  all  that  earthly  wealth  can 
yield. 


01' 


SUCCESSFUL  GENERATION 

II O  be  born  into  this  w^orld  is  a  preparatory, 
1/  step  to  a  birth  into  another,  and  the  greater 
advantage  a  child  has  here  warrants  a  more  favor- 
able entrance  to  the  other.  It  should  be  the  ob- 
ject of  the  producer  to  bring  forth  the  most  val- 
uable products  of  his  industry.  It  is  so  in  the 
various  pursuits  of  life.  An  inferior  product  finds 
but  little  demand  in  the  market  of  merchantable 
goods. 

To  raise  a  crop  of  sour,  thick-skinned,  bitter 
oranges  would  be  a  waste  of  time  and  energy. 
There  would  be  no  sale  for  such  fruit,  so  with  all 
the  vegetable  kingdom.  There  would  be  no  in- 
ducement for  the  farmer  or  fruit-grower  to  per- 


232 


TTIK    I.Or.IC    OF    A    I.irE    TnfE 


sist  year  after  year  in  bringing  into  market  un- 
merchantable goods,  when  by  proper  selection 
and  scientific  culture  he  could  produce  an  article 
for  which  there  would  be  a  good  demand  and 
ready  sale. 

The  problem  is  plain  to  the  mind  of  every 
thinking  person,  and  the  same  result  would  fol- 
low in  raising  cattle,  horses,  sheep  and  swine. 
The  stock  or  breed  is  an  important  factor  in  the 
value  of  any  species  of  the  animal  kingdom.  A 
common  low-bred  dog  finds  but  little  favor  among 
the  lovers  of  his  kind.  Trace  the  law  through 
the  various  species ;  in  all  good  blood  is  sought, 
or  in  other  words,  good  breed  or  stock.  No  in- 
ferior member  of  the  brute  creation  finds  favor 
with  one  having  knowledge  of  a  superior  quality, 
and  when  an  uncomplimentary  reference  is  made 
to  such  a  specimen,  we  seek  for  some  excuse 
for  retaining  a  creature  whose  chief  merit  is  to 
eat  and  hold  the  place  of  a  more  valuable  quality. 

The  same  law  holds  good,  and  indeed  is  more 
accentuated  in  the  development  of  the  human 
kind,  but  here  there  is  less  interest  taken,  and 
greater  risks  are  ventured  and  a  thousand  times 
more  harm  results  in  generating  inferior  children. 

The  happiness  of  family  circles,  the  welfare  of 
communities,  the  thrift  and  well-being  of  nations 
depend  upon  the  quality  of  the  people  born  and 
raised  in  their  midst.  The  result  of  this  great 
mistake  in  the  production  of  our  species  and  the 


SUCCESSFUL    GENERATION 


233 


proper  culture  after  birth  is  the  most  potent  cause 
of  all  the  terrible  conditions  developed  in  our 
midst  and  among  the  various  peoples  of  the  earth. 

In  consequence  of  reckless  reproduction,  pris- 
ons, jails,  almshouses,  homes  for  feeble-minded 
and  institutions  for  the  insane  are  located  in  every 
city  throughout  the  nations. 

We  generate  this  class  of  victims,  then  we  have 
to  dispose  of  them  according  to  the  decision  of 
courts  and  the  laws  of  the  land.  Some  are  as- 
signed to  the  gallows,  some  to  electrocution,  some 
to  the  prison  cell,  or  other  institution  according 
to  the  magnitude  of  sin  committed  or  the  incapac- 
ity of  the  helpless  victims. 

We  bring  into  the  world  unfortunate  waifs  re- 
gardless of  the  law  of  superior  inheritance  and 
many  times  they  bring  the  germs  of  natural  ten- 
dencies to  evil  with  them  at  their  birth,  and  no 
power  exists  to  remold  or  make  over  the  natural 
tendencies  of  the  child  when  the  seeds  of  conten- 
tion, warfare  and  revenge  were  planted  at  their 
very  conception.  Those  are  the  seeds  we  often 
sow  and  from  their  growth  we  reap  a  harvest 
similar  to  the  stock  from  which  they  had  their 
origin. 

From  the  very  hour  of  birth  some  manifest  the 
inborn  nature  nothwithstanding  the  care  and 
efiforts  the  parents  take  to  eradicate  the  roots  of 
evil  so  early  planted,  in  their  blood  and  brains. 
Then  to  modify  or  subdue  these  traits  becomes  a 


234  Tin-:  logic  of  a  lite  timi;: 

life-time  effort  and  often  without  any  apparent 
good  effect. 

Under  such  abnormal  growth  the  moral  nature 
is  superseded  by  the  predominance  of  evil,  which 
gravitates  to  the  surface  and  falsehood  soon  de- 
velops, theft,  a  warlike  disposition,  revenge  and 
greed  speak  with  emphasis  before  the  child  is  of 
an  age  to  reason ;  and  the  reasoning  faculties  are 
often  quite  submerged,  are  over-grown  by  the 
weeds  of  error,  the  seeds  of  which  were  handed 
down  from  one  parent  or  the  other  and  perhaps 
for  generations  past,  the  unfortunate  transmission 
of  character  has  been  making  unremitting  head- 
way until  the  culmination  attracts  public  atten- 
tion and  all  are  ready  to  exclaim  "From  whence 
comes  all  this  wrong?" 

The  first  consideration  for  the  improvement  of 
the  race  is  that  more  thought  be  given  to  the  na- 
ture and  quality  of  the  rudimentary  elements 
upon  which  the  race  is  founded  and  these  might 
be  compared  to  the  seed  and  soil  for  plants.  The 
farmer  is  well  aware  that  soil  must  be  adapted  to 
the  growth  of  plants,  or  the  seeds  will  fail  to 
germinate  and  grow. 

In  the  growth  of  human  beings  the  same  law 
must  be  maintained,  and  in  this  important  regard 
woman  represents  the  soil.  She  is  the  receptacle, 
the  source  from  which  the  growth  must  come  and 
from  her  nature  the  child  absorbs  the  elements  of 
her  body  and  it  must  also  be  of  her  mind. 


SUCCESSFUL    GENERATION 


235 


If  the  soil  for  bearing  plants  is  poor  and  scanty, 
if  rocks  and  rubbish  take  the  place  of  rich 
earth  or  loam  what  could  we  expect  in  the  growth 
of  trees  or  vines  or  of  the  quality  of  the  fruit  they 
yield?  The  fertile  soil  with  elements  to  develop 
and  mature  the  flowers  and  fruit  would  be  the  soil 
the  orchardist  would  wisely  choose,  and  if  he 
works  for  a  harvest  of  fruit  or  grain  there  must 
be  no  elements  of  disease  to  frustrate  the  end  in 
view ;  no  source  of  poison  which  might  retard  the 
perfect  development.  All  parasites  and  vermin 
must  be  removed  before  he  would  venture  to 
plant  the  shrub  he  dearly  bought  or  to  scatter 
seeds  of  any  worth. 

The  elements  that  favor  growth  and  determine 
the  quality  of  grain  and  fruit  must  be  taken  up 
by  the  little  rootlets  to  the  stem  to  be  transmitted 
to  the  most  distant  parts  for  the  enlargement  of 
the  plant  itself,  but  chiefly  for  the  yield  of  flowers 
and  fruit.  Then  again,  if  the  soil  is  perfect,  and 
rich  with  the  elements  for  growth  and  strength, 
the  seed  must  be  a  subject  of  worthy  thought  or 
there  will  be  a  failure. 

The  seeds  or  roots  for  the  growth  of  perfect 
plants  should  be  of  the  most  valuable  stock.  And 
in  the  human  species  the  sire  or  father,  from 
whence  the  seed  must  come,  should  be  carefully 
studied.  The  texture  of  flesh,  the  color  and  qual- 
ity of  hair,  the  shape  and  size  of  head  and  the 
features  are  an  index  to  the  soul.     The  perfect 


■^36  TIIF.    I,Or,IC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

form,  the  existing  state  of  health,  the 
disposition  and  general  traits  of  char- 
acter should  all  be  well  considered  in  the  wis- 
dom of  a  choice.  The  spiritual  and  intellectual 
endowments  are  of  vast  importance  in  connection 
with  the  physical  and  moral  attributes.  A  healthy 
sire  or  father,  with  a  moral  character  beyond 
doubt  would  be  a  wise  selection.  He  should  not 
be  judged  merely  from  his  flippancy  of  speech  in 
detestation  of  corrupt  and  evil  works,  but  his 
honor  in  relation  to  his  acts  and  dealings  with  his 
fellowmen  and  unsuspecting  women,  should  be 
investigated. 

The  life  should  be  so  chiseled  out,  so  carved  and 
molded  that  there  could  be  no  cause  for  doubt, 
as  to  the  character  of  the  individual.  Reputation 
may  be  fair,  but  between  the  reputation  one  may 
bear  and  the  real  character  there  may  be  a  vast 
difference.  Appearances  alone  cannot  be  an  exact 
guide  to  actual  worth.  The  well-combed  hair,  the 
shapely  clothes,  the  stylish  hat,  the  curled  mous- 
tache or  jewels  that  bedeck  the  form  are  but  sym- 
bols of  character,  an  outward  expression  of  what 
he  would  like  to  be  considered,  not  perhaps  of 
what  he  really  is.  The  inspection  of  a  fashion 
plate,  or  the  perusal  of  a  book  on  etiquette  would 
lend  assistance  how  to  appear  and  act  to  win  the 
eye  and  heart  of  woman. 

For  a  basis  to  build  upon  there  must  be  a 
deeper  search  than  hat  or  habit,  beard  or  boots. 


SUCCESSFUL    GENERATION  237 

The  soul  of  man  must  be  revealed,  the  heart  of 
worth  should  be  selected,  through  kindly  acts 
from  childhood  up  to  full  maturity.  The  afifection 
he  manifests  for  his  mother  and  sisters,  the  man- 
ner of  speech,  the  warm  and  cordial  grasp  of  hand, 
the  pardon  and  excuse  for  short-comings  of  his 
friends,  the  kindness  he  extends  to  brutes,  the 
little  favors  he  bestows  upon  the  weak  and  help- 
less, the  gentle  tones  in  which  he  speaks  to  noisy 
thoughtless  children  and  the  thousand  little  name- 
less things  a  man  may  say  or  do,  will  ever  tell 
the  tale  of  what  elements  his  heart  is  made.  The 
expression  of  kindness  his  eyes  bespeak,  and 
sympathy  proffered  to  the  weak  with  helpful  acts 
and  words  prove  and  seal  the  motive  as  being 
real  instead  of  feigned  merely  for  efTect. 

When  all  these  outward  indications  favor  the 
honor  and  virtue  of  either  sex,  it  is  well  and 
proper  to  compare  their  natural  tastes,  talents 
and  dispositions.  To  blend  in  one  respect  is  not 
enough.  To  be  alike  in  all  respects  is  not  desir- 
able; there  should  be  a  difference  and  yet  a  meet 
equality. 

When  offspring  from  such  sources  come  the 
result  must  be  most  favorable,  love  and  harmony 
will  prevail  and  peace  will  charm  their  homes. 
Wars  and  rumors  of  wars  will  be  historical,  and 
theft  v/ill  never  tempt  adults  or  children,  honesty 
will  be  the  charm  of  old  and  young  and  truth  will 
be  the  fruit  of  every  tongue,  and  love  will  electrify 


238  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

every  act  and  every  word.  To  do  good,  to  be  good 
and  to  imitate  from  choice  the  Christ  to  whom  we 
look  as  our  guide,  our  leading  star,  would  be  the 
wish  and  work  of  all. 


01 


FOR  WHAT  TO  LIVE 

II  HE  planets  revolve  around  one  common  center, 
1/  that  center  is  the  sun,  whose  brightness  can- 
not be  looked  upon  by  mortal  eyes  except  to  blind. 
The  dazzling  light  bewilders  and  stimulates  the 
nerves  until  the  sight  is  paralyzed.  So  from  the 
Spirit  center  the  effulgent  rays  proceed  to  fill  all 
space,  and  every  living  thing  from  plant  to  man, 
is  held  in  the  embrace  of  the  Father.  God.  whose 
warming  power  is  so  great  that  even  rocks  will 
melt  at  His  decree  and  mountains  are  made  to 
topple  and  fall ;  the  earth  to  belch  out  streams  of 
molten  lava,  and  fields  submerged ;  the  level  plains 
to  be  as  oceans,  and  ocean  beds  made  dry  at  the 
command  of  this  ruling  Power  whose  influence 
from  on  high  is  equal  to  any  change  or  necessity 
for  the  advancement  or  growth  of  plants  or  the 
unfoldment  of  the  higher  life  of  man. 

Revolutions  are  doomed  to  come,  great  changes 
are  required  to  energize  the  world  and  its  inhabi- 


FOR    WHAT    TO    LIVE 


239 


tants.  To  mortal  man  there  seems  no  cause  and 
no  necessity  for  such  upheavals  as  at  times 
appear.  The  regular  course  of  things  might,  to 
him  seem  best,  but  he  in  his  finite  state  cannot 
wisely  choose  what  would  be  for  the  greatest 
good.  He  finds  his  plans  are  often  thwarted,  his 
buildings  fall  or  are  consumed  in  flames,  his  prop- 
erty, so  eagerly  gained,  and  all  his  earthly  goods 
destroyed ;  he  is  often  reduced  to  financial  naked- 
ness without  a  moment's  warning.  He  sees  no 
good  that  can  accrue  from  all  this  desolation,  from 
all  this  mighty  change.  Men  stand  aghast,  their 
eyes  bedimmed  with  tears,  no  argument  can  prove 
to  them  that  any  good  can  come  from  such  de- 
struction. Some  may  predict  still  worse  condi- 
tions, while  others  try  by  words  of  courage  to  pac- 
ify and  kindle  hope  and  faith  in  them.  Man 
builds  upon  material  things  which  are  often  very 
unstable,  like  houses  made  of  cobs  and  blocks  that 
children  build,  with  all  their  earnest  hope  of  happi- 
ness in  showing  them  to  their  young  friends ;  each 
ambitious  child  strives  to  outdo  his  comrade  in  a 
superior  structure  with  more  adornments  to  at- 
tract their  admiration  and  to  elicit  greater  praise 
for  the  complexity  and  more  elaborate  work,  but 
in  the  midst  of  all  their  glee  and  pride  in  what 
they  had  achieved,  a  gust  of  wind  or  jarring  door 
may  dissipate  their  juvenile  ambition,  as  the 
fabric  falls  to  a  worthless"  heap,  before  their 
startled  vision.     So  with  the  older  children,  even 


240  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

to  full  maturity,  the  bauble  of  ambition  has  no 
better  ground  to  build  upon,  no  firmer  hold  on 
earth  than  a  child's  toy  house  built  upon  a  totter- 
ing board. 

Then  why  devote  a  whole  lifetime  to  the  ac- 
quirement of  worldly  goods,  when  some  atmos- 
pheric change  may  cause  the  structure  to  col- 
lapse and  fall,  or  some  seismic  convulsion  of  the 
earth  may  open  wide  destructive  jaws  and  swal- 
low into  depths  the  work  and  patient  toil  of  many 
years,  perhaps  a  sacrifice  of  the  common  needs 
of  life,  to  show  the  world  what  could  be  done  by 
the  limited  brain  and  brawn  of  man. 

O  deluded  mortals !  When  shall  we  grow  to 
the  full  stature  of  true  manhood  and  learn  to 
know  the  difference  between  the  perishable 
things  of  earth  and  the  things  of  everlasting 
worth?  And  know  that  structures  of  moral  build- 
ing will  never  perish ;  that  kind  deeds  are  bricks 
that  never  break;  that  mercy  holds  the  walls  to- 
gether, a  cement  that  cannot  crumble ;  that  wis- 
dom well  directed  with  love  to  point  the  way 
will  build  for  all  an  everlasting  dwelling  with 
capacious  rooms  to  shelter  all  of  the  Father's 
children  well-beloved,  though  scattered  here  and 
there;  and  from  whose  leading  hand  they  drew 
away  in  search  of  something  more  attractive  and 
more  to  be  desired  than  the  reward  of  peace  of 
mind,  contentment  of  the  soul,  and  a  sense  of 
good-will  to  all  men? 


TRUST    IN    GOD,    THE    FATHER  241 

These  gifts  are  not  the  accompaniments  of  lux- 
urious lives  of  greed  and  graft  so  freely  practiced 
by  the  worshippers  of  Mammon  who  fix  their 
hearts  on  worldly  things  instead  of  everlasting 
treasures  that  increase  and  multiply  according  to 
our  acts  of  kindness  to  our  fellow  men. 


TRUST  IN  GOD,  THE  FATHER 

'Itttt  E  BUILD  to  stand  when  we  use  a  good 
Mtl  quality  of  rock  and  timber,  so  with  the 
building  of  the  soul  of  man.  The  fragile  boards 
of  vacillation,  the  wavering  beams  of  discontent, 
the  shallow,  narrow  rooms  of  modes  and  fash- 
ions, the  blurred  and  opaque  glass  that  doubt  and 
superstition  form,  all  joined  together  by  the  un- 
certain cement  of  popular  opinion  make  up 
structures  not  worth  the  time  devoted  to  the  task. 

A  lifetime  here  on  earth  is  often  spent  in 
building  and  in  tearing  down.  As  fashions  change, 
the  rooms  are  altered  in  shape  and  size  to  corres- 
pond with  other  buildings,  so  with  the  minds  of 
men  and  women  :  there  is  no  stability  without  a 
firm  foundation  upon  which  to  build  the  super- 
structure. 

It  is  unwise  to  trust  to  the  thoughtless  speech 
and  vain  opinions  of  associates  or  friends,  or  of 


242  iiiii    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

would-be  leaders  in,  and  of  society.  Opinions  are 
often  as  discordant  notes  to  a  cultured  mind,  un- 
less they  are  based  upon  a  sure  foundation  of 
truth  and  wisdom,  then  they  remain  as  adaman- 
tine and  never  falter.  If  the  walls  of  faith  are 
wisely  built  with  confidence  in  the  Architect  who 
never  fails  in  his  designs,  nor  in  the  fulfillment  of 
obligations,  they  will  not  fall.  If  the  windows  are 
of  pure  crystal  through  which  the  mind  can  see 
right  from  wrong,  the  structure  will  stand  the 
test  of  time. 

The  winds  of  error  may  howl  outside,  the 
storms  of  opposition  may  beat  upon  the  walls, 
and  persecution,  hatred  and  false  assertions  may 
war  upon  the  surface,  but  the  stability  of  the 
well-seasoned  mind  will  resist  invasion  and  may 
gently  parry  off  the  blows  a  hostile  foe  inflicts. 

The  firm  intrepid  soul  has  built  beyond  the 
power  of  earth's  control,  because  the  sure  foun- 
dation warrants  the  stately  spire  pointing  heaven- 
ward. The  hand  of  the  immutable,  the  allwise 
Architect  has,  in  wisdom  led  him  on  step  by  step 
through  the  gentle  influence  of  the  "Still  small 
voice"  and  the  rays  of  spiritual  light  that  grew 
more  luminous  as  he  progressed.  With  mental 
eyes  bedimmed  by  the  glittering  tinsel  of  false 
ideas,  dealt  out  as  truth  for  selfish  gain  or  popular 
applause,  there  can  be  no  picture  of  the  real. 

The  vision  is  distorted,  the  mist  and  fog  of 
ignorance  or  wilful  error  form  a  barrier  too  dense 


TRUST    IN    GOD,    THE    FATHER  243 

for  the  light  of  truth  to  penetrate.  It  is  an  easy- 
thing  for  a  child,  when  walking  by  its  father's 
side  to  lift  its  tiny  hand  for  the  sturdy  grasp  of 
one  it  trusts.  Its  tottering  footsteps  are  more 
firmly  planted,  it  is  safe  in  the  keeping  of  its 
father  and  it  walks  along  with  confidence  of 
security.  If  any  infringement  upon  the  path  be- 
comes a  cause  of  fear  or  doubt,  the  child  clings 
more  closely  to  its  parent's  side  and  shelters  itself 
from  danger.  Its  safety  is  secured  by  the  pres- 
ence and  unfailing  care  the  parent  has  ever  prof- 
fered. 

The  trust  and  love  has  led  the  child  through 
danger  and  darkness  both  day  and  night.  The 
pending  obstructions  to  their  rambles  through 
wood  and  glen,  the  rocks  and  streams,  were  all 
surmounted.  All  fear  was  removed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  that  trusted  one  who  grasped  his  hand 
more  tightly  and  drew  him  still  nearer  to  his  side 
until  this  fostering  care  and  unfailing  love  has 
become  a  rest,  a  home  of  safety  through  his  faith- 
fulness to  this  little  one  whom  he  begot  and  loved 
before  its  birth. 

Then  why  not  trust  our  Father,  God,  the  source 
of  all  life  in  every  form?  Why,  in  our  self-made 
arrogance,  drop  the  loving  hand  of  Him  who  is 
ever  ready  to  lead  us  on,  to  teach  us,  and  lift  us 
over  the  mud  and  mire  of  life's  rough  exper- 
iences? We  fall  and  stumble  by  following  after 
the  wayward  steps  of  the  unfaithful  whose  whole 


244  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

life  on  earth  has  been  spent  in  growing  wise 
through  misfortunes  and  complicated  evils,  with 
no  knowledge  of  the  better  way,  with  no  assur- 
ance of  a  successful  journey,  who  blindly  seek  for 
happiness  from  day  to  day,  from  hour  to  hour  by 
reckless  uncertain  steps;  first  upon  a  rock  their 
feet  are  planted,  then  they  sink  into  the  mire  and 
struggle  to  escape  another  fall,  perhaps  deeper 
and  more  dangerous  than  the  first.  Such  is  the 
fate  of  him  who  fails  to  discriminate  between  the 
actual  and  the  presumable,  between  right  and 
wrong,  between  the  light  of  heaven  and  the  glit- 
ter of  earth. 


SUCCESS  VS.   DEFEAT 

SEFEAT  should  find  no  place  in  man's  vocab- 
ulary. Success  should  be  engraved  beyond 
the  power  of  erosion.  The  purport  of  that  word 
in  its  true  meaning  should  be  embodied  in  every 
human  being.  If  an  object  in  view  is  worth  the 
time  and  strength  to  gain,  let  us  commence  and 
not  be  idle  nor  discouraged.  Efifort  will  bring  its 
well-earned  reward  and  success  must  result  from 
the  application  of  reason  and  will. 

Wisdom,  will  and  work  compel  all  forces  to  vi- 
brate in  the  direction  of  fulfillment.     No  doubt 


SUCCESS   VS.    DEFEAT 


245 


should  shadow  the  thought.  No  postponement 
should  deter  the  attainment  of  an  object  in  view. 

The  world  with  all  its  wealth  of  rocks  and  gold, 
its  mineral  and  vegetable  productions,  required 
cycles  of  time,  eons  of  cycles  to  prepare  for  a 
higher  grade  of  life.  Life  in  its  lowest  form  per- 
vaded the  mineral  kingdom  and  is  here  manifested 
and  as  certainly  as  in  the  higher  spheres.  The 
molten  rock  and  flowing  stream  of  liquid  metal 
exhibit  life  in  their  selection  and  amalgamation. 
Some  elements  repel ;  they  are  dead  to  each  other 
while  they  attract  and  mingle  in  mutual  fellow- 
ship with  others,  demonstrating  the  law  of  selec- 
tion. 

This  force  brings  the  particles  into  close  adher- 
ent contact  thus  to  remain  until  nature  of  the  ability 
of  man,  through  skill  at  his  command,  breaks  the 
union  and  permits  the  separation,  when  life  is 
again  demonstrated  by  the  quick  relationship  one 
particle  exhibits  for  another.  A  mighty  work  was 
all  this  fusion  and  this  aggregation  of  elemental 
substances,  so  crude,  and  yet  obedient  to  the  law 
of  attraction  and  repulsion,  new  compounds  being 
organized  and  fitted  for  further  work. 

The  elemental  substances  of  carbon,  oxygen, 
nitrogen  and  hydrogen  unite  with  mineral  bases 
to  form  ten  thousand  independent  organizations, 
diflfering  in  nature,  consistency  and  shape,  until 
from  the  multiplied  unions  and  separations  our 
world  was  lavishly  beautified  and  practically  sup- 


246  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

plied  with  shrubs  and  trees,  with  vines  and  flow- 
ers. Then  ag^ain  these  elements  so  subtle  and  un- 
seen are  congregated  in  another  form,  a  slender 
stalk  with  clinging  branches  turning  here  and 
there  like  the  blind  children  of  human  form,  they 
cling  to  anything  that  will  bear  thern  up ;  they 
will  embrace  a  neighboring  tree  or  fasten  to  the 
brush  below ;  they  will  creep  upward  and  outward 
reaching  for  tangible  support,  so  the  vines  hold 
their  wonted  place  and  success  will  crown  their 
seeming  futile  efforts  to  do  or  be  as  great  as  the 
ambitious  oak  or  pine,  but  when  the  purple  clus- 
ters of  delicious  grapes  appear  on  every  branch 
we  all  agree  to  the  great  success  of  that  slender 
clinging  specimen  of  nature's  work. 

There  is  a  use  for  all  the  varied  growths.  Some 
are  for  shelter  under  which  animals  may  gather 
to  avoid  the  piercing  rays  the  god  of  light  and 
heat  throws  down,  and  as  a  hen  would  cover  her 
brood  so  do  these  wide-spread  aimless  trees  work 
out  their  usefulness. 

Then  the  pine  and  oak  and  others  of  peculiar 
style  and  shape  have  their  purpose  to  fulfill.  As 
soon  as  they  begin  to  grow  they  prove  of  sanitary 
use  by  absorbing  noxious  elements  destructive  to 
human  life,  while  at  periods  of  the  day  they  dis- 
till and  cast  upon  the  air  elements  our  natures 
crave  and  that  help  to  sustain  us.  Then  the  mass- 
ive timber  such  trees  afford  enriches  the  coun- 
try, and  provides  material  from  which  the  homes 


SUCCESS    VS.    DEFEAT 


247 


of  helpless  children  may  be  constructed,  and 
houses,  barns  and  public  buildings  may  be  pre- 
pared for  comfort  and  convenience,  an  evidence 
of  their  grand  success. 

So  throughout  the  whole  range  of  vegetation, 
from  the  tuberous  root  of  the  potato  to  the  heavy 
cabbage  head,  from  the  berries  on  the  bush  to  the 
lofty  cocoanut,  we  find  a  variety  for  food  and 
warmth  and  for  wider  capabilities  than  we  can 
here  enumerate.  In  the  roots  and  bark,  in  the 
leaves  and  flowers  is  often  found  a  grateful  pan- 
acea for  disease,  while  from  another  class  a  poison 
is  extracted  as  a  weapon  of  defense,  an  element  of 
destruction  to  invaders  who  intrude  with  axe  or 
saw,  yet  upon  whose  leaves  and  branches  a  class 
of  insects  or  larger  creatures  feed,  that  are  im- 
mune to  their  toxic  power.  So  success  is  labeled 
there  and  in  nature  everywhere. 

When  we  contemplate  the  highest  forms  of 
life,  when  from  rock  to  tree,  from  worm  to  bee,  we 
find  the  law  holds  good,  why  should  we  halt  and 
doubt?  Why  weep  and  sigh  lest  we  shall  fail  in 
w^hat  we  undertake? 

Let  the  head  and  heart  of  man  conceive  of 
something  useful,  something  that  may  help  poor 
suffering  creatures  whether  brute  or  human.  Let 
him  conceive  the  potency  and  use  of  a  production 
he  has  found  in  nature's  laboratory,  or  through  his 
genius  may  compound,  whether  it  be  extracted 
from  a  single  tree  or  from  a  combination,  let  it 


248  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

come  to  the  use  of  the  human  race  to  free  them 
from  their  aches  and  pains  that  violated  laws 
have  induced. 

The  resources  are  great,  the  materials  lie  wait- 
ing, some  have  been  discovered  and  much  there 
may  be,  that  has  evaded  recognition.  It  is  for  us 
to  search  among  the  hidden  treasures  and  apply 
them  to  the  use  of  man  as  fertilizers  of  the  soil  or 
for  the  greater  conveniences  of  life,  to  enrich  the 
mental  soil  and  lift  the  soul  to  higher  aims. 

If  through  research  some  richer  colors  are  dis- 
covered, let  them  be  utilized  to  embellish  and  dec- 
orate the  homes,  to  charm  the  eye  with  the  forms 
of  birds  or  flowers,  or  the  shades  of  evening  or 
the  early  dawn  transferred  to  canvas  or  painted 
on  the  walls.  There  is  much  that  can  be  done  and 
should  not  be  delayed.  Aluch  to  encourage  and 
to  reward  the  effort  made,  whether  for  the  re- 
lief of  pain  through  accident  or  abuse. 

Let  nothing  interfere ;  permit  no  barrier  to  be 
imposed  but  rally  on,  work  to  the  end  in  view, 
and  success  will  be  the  recompense  of  effort  made 
in  the  hope  of  giving  aid  where  suffering  de- 
mands relief  whether  from  hunger  or  disease. 
And  in  the  future  not  far  oflf,  praise  and  honor 
will  take  the  place  of  doubt  and  scofif,  and  it  will 
be  distinctly  seen  that  nothing  yet  discovered 
or  devised  but  what  may  be  applied  to  some  use- 
ful purpose  tending  toward  the  advancement  of 
the  human  race. 


CORRELATION  OF  MAN  WITH  GOD 

/|t|t  AN  thou  art  a  microcosm,  but  thy  place  in 
UVX  the  great  universe  no  other  life  could  fill. 
Thou  art  the  alpha  and  omega  of  creation.  For 
thee  the  worlds  were  built,  that  thou  mightst 
come  to  dwell  in  these  elysian  fields  as  ruler,  king 
and  brother  to  all  that  preceded  thee,  and  all  that 
correlates  to  thee,  on  earth  and  in  heaven. 

A  temple  built  in  a  gorgeous  manner,  in  a  style 
most  approved,  with  walls  of  amethyst  and  ceil- 
ings of  cerulean  blue,  with  ornaments  complete, 
drapings  of  richest  hue,  soft  and  yielding;  win- 
dow*; designed  to  represent  the  glories  of  the 
setting  sun  or  the  richness  of  the  early  dawn,  the 
aisles  inlaid  with  precious  stones,  the  observatory 
with  crystal  glass  through  which  the  outside 
world  could  all  be  seen,  where  every  part  is  the 
ideal  of  perfection,  but  this  magnificent  struct- 
ures would  be  a  waste  of  time  and  material  were 
it  not  built  for  man,  for  his  pleasure  and  his  use. 

Nothing  in  the  world  or  the  universe  of  worlds 
wmild  be  worth  the  word  that  God,  the  Father, 
spoke  to  mold  and  make,  were  it  not  for  the  use 
of  the  inhabitants;  an  inheritance  to  supply  their 
wants  and  for  their  delight. 

Mankind  without  the  world  could  not  exist,  so 
the  Maker  and  the  human  race  are  working  for 
each  other's  good.  Man  may  indeed  be  proud, 
not   vain,   but   gratefully   reverent,    when   in   the 


250  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

busy  whirl  of  life  he  stops  to  contemplate  his 
worth  and  what  for  his  sake  has  been  done  by  the 
Author  of  himself  and  of  the  world  in  which  he 
finds  himself  the  most  important  part,  a  mi- 
crocosm, a  unit  in  a  sense  and  yet  the  greatest, 
highest  type  of  all  the  world  contains. 

All  this  great  fabric  was  conceived  and  all  this 
great  work  was  done  that  he  might  live  and  have 
a  place  to  plant  his  feet  and  have  a  home. 

The  earth  is  for  him  to  till,  for  all  to  inhabit  and 
for  all  to  own,  as  all  claim  an  equal  share  of  sun- 
light and  air ;  not  that  the  few,  the  favored  few 
shall  claim  the  earth  as  theirs,  while  the  many 
have  not  where  to  lay  their  heads  or  rest  their 
weary  forms. 

The  earth  was  formed  through  ages  of  evolu- 
tion, from  chaos  up  through  all  the  cycles  of 
time,  until  vegetation  could  develop  for  man's 
convenience  and  support.  The  varied  fruits  with 
delicious  flavor  for  his  noruishment ;  and  flowers, 
leaves  and  roots  for  purposes  of  healing,  if  by 
mistake  his  normal  strength  should  be  reduced, 
or  some  important  part  of  his  constitution  should 
fail  to  carry  on  its  wonted  function. 

The  joyous  birds  sing  to  cheer  him  when  he 
wakes,  and  the  lambs  that  frolic  in  the  fields,  the 
sun  by  day  to  warm  and  light  him  on  his  way, 
a  natural  mighty  dynamo  producing  light  and 
heat,  an  inexhaustible  fount  of  life,  to  which  man 
need  give  no  thought  whether  this  great  blessing 


CORRELATION    OF    MAN    WITH    GOD 


251 


is  dear  or  cheap,  whether  the  generating  fuel  is 
abundant  or  exhausted. 

The  moon  and  stars  by  night  emit  their  soft 
rays  of  light  to  modify  the  darkness  while  other 
distant  planets  have  the  advantage  of  the  sun 
which  serves  to  warm  and  light  many  other 
worlds  than  ours. 

The  mighty  streams  of  w^ater  that  course  from 
east  to  west  from  north  to  south  serve  to  irrigate 
the  land  and  smaller  streams  faltering  through  the 
sand  and  loam  bring  moisture  to  the  earth,  bless- 
ing every  mile,  yes,  every  foot  and  inch,  making 
every  place  more  green,  helping  the  flowers  to 
bloom  and  making  a  beautiful  garden  spot  of  the 
land  they  permeate  and  every  green  thing  holds 
up  its  head  and  laughs.  And  when  the  earth  has 
turned  upon  its  axis  and  the  morning  sun  appears 
the  dew  on  leaf  and  flower  sparkles  like  the  tears 
a  child  may  shed,  at  the  sound  of  the  parent's 
voice,  in  expression  of  its  heartfelt  gladness. 

Oh,  how  thankful  all  should  be  for  all  these 
numerous  blessings  profifered,  with  no  thought 
before  our  coming,  no  anxiety  as  to  whether  there 
was  a  place  prepared  on  earth,  or  whether  there 
was  or  was  not  a  world ;  little  suspecting  what 
is  being  done  or  has  been  done  during  all  these 
innumerable  centuries  to  prepare  a  place  for  hu- 
man habitation ! 

As  a  mother  deftly  plies  her  needle  on  the  robes 
the  coming  infant  claims  for  warmth  and  beauty, 


252  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

every  stitch  her  willing  hands  perform  is  accom- 
panied by  a  heartfelt  love  for  the  prospective  lit- 
tle one,  and  while  the  work  of  love  is  molding  and 
giving  form  to  it,  everything  is  done  in  consid- 
eration of  the  day  and  hour  when  it  shall  take 
possession  of  its  place  on  earth.  The  ambitious, 
loving  earthly  parents  labor  hard  and  endure  pri- 
vations, they  bravely  meet  the  storms  of  life,  the 
frigid  atmosphere  of  winter,  as  well  as  the  ex- 
hausting heat  of  summer  and  sleepless  nights  are 
spent  in  planning  out  the  most  successful  route 
to  opulence  and  wealth,  not  for  their  personal  use 
alone  or  self-aggrandizement,  but  for  what  they 
can  bring  into  the  possession  of  their  children  that 
they  may  see  them  prosperous  and  free  from 
want. 

Children  are  important  factors  of  the  family 
circle.  Parents  work  a  whole  lifetime  to  educate, 
to  clothe  and  house  their  children  and  if  these 
objects  of  their  fostering  care  act  nobly  in  this 
life,  are  honest,  truthful,  appreciative  recipients 
of  all  the  blessings  parents  shall  bestow,  it  has 
been  a  pleasure,  a  delight,  to  have  provided  thus 
for  them. 

The  children  are  what  the  parents  labor  for,  to 
start  them  favorably  on  the  road  to  competence, 
that  they  may  enjoy  the  flowery  side  of  life  with- 
out having  to  pass  through  the  many  restrictions, 
doubts  and  self-denials  they  suffered  in  overcom- 
ing obstacles  as  they  patiently     pursued     their 


CORRELATION    OF    MAN    WITH'  GOD  253 

journey  up  the  hill  of  life,  all  of  which  the  world 
commends.  But  when  we  consider  how  much 
more  our  Father,  the  Parent  of  the  universe  and 
of  all  living  things,  has  done  to  prepare  a  home 
for  his  vast  offspring,  no  comparison  can  be  made. 
Earthly  parents  sometimes  weaken  in  their  faith 
and  love  for  a  wayward  child  which  they  disin- 
herit for  disobedience,  or  some  head-strong  act, 
or  perhaps  for  wrongs  imposed  through  inherit- 
ance, but  our  Father  who  rules  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  is  ever  faithful  to  all  his  children.  Each 
and  every  one  has  an  equal  hold  on  his  parental 
love.  His  forgiveness  never  lessens.  If  His 
child  slips  from  His  grasp  through  ignor- 
ance, seduction,  or  the  influence  of  some  strong 
power  that  tempts  beyond  resistance,  his  place 
is  ever  ready  for  his  return ;  the  prodigal  is  ever 
welcome  and  a  greater  love  will  be  expressed  and 
.more  joy  made  manifest. 

However  distant  the  unfortunate  one  had  wan- 
dered from  the  path  of  right  and  from  the  arms 
of  Christ,  in  silent  language  the  Father  pleads 
"Come  back,  come  back  and  dwell  with  me;  thy 
portion  still  remains  awaiting  thy  return." 

Let  us  then  lift  up  our  hearts  in  praise  of  Him, 
let  us  never  fail  to  show  our  gratitude  and  love  to 
Him  who  built  for  us  a  home  on  earth,  a  home 
for  old  and  young,  for  great  and  small,  for  white 
and  black,  the  earth  a  temple  here  for  our  mutual 
habitation.    The  same  sun  to  light  and  warm  the 


254  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

various  parts.  The  moon  is  ours  in  common,  and 
the  stars  belong  to  all ;  those  sparkling  jewels  are 
thine  as  well  as  mine. 

The  heaven  above  is  like  a  banner  of  love 
spread  over  the  heads  of  all  His  children.  The 
air  we  breathe  is  a  common  possession.  The 
winds  of  purification  remove  the  noxious  elements 
from  every  door-yard  by  His  will  to  mutually 
bless  the  human  race. 

We  should  learn  and  understand  that  we  are  all 
equal  in  the  Father's  love,  and  are  as  one  great 
family.  Locality  of  birth  or  hereditary  gleanings 
through  ancestral  lines  from  different  portions  of 
the  globe  need  not  be  held  by  us  as  being  better 
or  worse.  Perhaps  those  we  would  claim  as  near- 
est to  His  heart  of  hearts,  might  occupy  a  more 
remote  position,  and  those  we  might  shun  if  not 
despise,  maybe  acceptable  and  more  highly  prized 
by  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

It  is  not  from  deeds  alone  that  we  can  judge, 
motives  are  sometimes  overpowered ;  goodness 
and  obedience  may  be  the  real  heart  desire,  but 
conditions  may  conspire  to  suppress  and  hide  the 
blushing  buds  of  faith,  hope  and  spiritual  love. 

As  we  live  and  what  we  do  may  widen  the  space 
or  shorten  it  between  the  Father's  hand  and  ours. 
As  our  works  of  righteousness,  love,  mercy  and 
forgiveness  grow  through  use,  we  shall  all  be 
brought  into  a  oneness  of  spirit    until     we    may 


KNOW    THYSELF  255 

blend  and  shine  as  the  true  children  of  the  Divine 
and  thereby  win  our  heritage. 


ol 


"KNOW   THYSELF!" 

II  HE  complexity  of  the  human  body     for     the 
1/  habitation  of  the  soul  is  but  a  counterpart  of 
the  world  which  it  inhabits. 

The  structure  of  either  is  enough  to  overpower 
the  most  gifted  mind  or  most  exalted  imagination, 
and  yet  no  part  of  either  is  superfluous,  nor  with- 
out reason  for  the  claim  it  holds,  to  complete  the 
great  design  for  the  convenience  and  use  of  the 
living,  yearning  soul.  Our  world  alone  in  com- 
parison with  the  millions  of  worlds  the  telescope 
reveals,  would  be  only  as  a  toy  in  the  hand  of  the 
Almighty  Maker,  and  the  analogy  between  this 
world  and  the  human  being  is  enough ;  we  need 
go  no  further  than  we  know.  We  need  no  stretch 
of  the  imagination ;  the  facts  are  patent  and  all 
we  need  to  convince  us,  is  to  stop  and  contem- 
plate, and  the  light  of  reason  will  display  the  won- 
derful adaptation  of  the  one  to  the  other,  and 
the  absolute  necessity  of  knowledge  in  regard  to 
both,  that  we  may  so  live  as  to  prolong  our  exist- 


256  THE    LOGIC    OF   A    LIFE   TIME 

ence  here,  until  experience  has  fitted  us  for  a 
higher  and  still  more  welcome  sphere  when  the 
course  of  life  is  fairly  run. 

For  that  purpose  we  should  acquaint  ourselves 
with  each  and  every  part  of  the  human  body, 
from  the  solid  bone  foundation  to  the  stately 
dome  of  thought  or  brain,  to  so  adjust  ourselves 
to  this  life  that  we  may  live  and  work  and  learn 
more  and  more  of  the  structure  and  functions  oi 
the  dififerent  organs  which  go  to  make  up  the 
macrocosm  of  body  entire,  with  mind  or  the 
soul  included,  which  knowledge  fits  us  for  the 
keeping  of  the  same  in  a  healthful  normal  condi- 
tion, to  be  in  harmony  with  nature. 

Without  such  information  there  would  be  no 
rule  nor  certainty  in  the  maintenance  of  this 
living  fabric  so  delicate,  yet  with  due  care,  so 
enduring.  It  is  a  lesson  we  should  early  learn 
while  all  the  organs  and  tissues  are  fresh  and 
green,  before  the  fibres  weaken  through  misuse, 
or  toughen  beyond  the  possibility  of  elasticity; 
before  some  parts  shrink  and  shorten,  or  shall  be 
put  upon  so  great  a  strain  that  life  must  struggle 
with  the  bruised  and  broken  fabric  making  each 
part  suffer  as  the  wheel  of  time  rolls  on. 

It  is  our  due,  our  legitimate  right  to  be  born 
in  health,  and  while  very  young  our  feeble,  help- 
less bodies  demand  the  love  and  gentle  care  that 
only  wise  parents  or  guardians  are  able  to  be- 
stow. 


KNOW    THYSELF 


257 


At  an  early  age  we  should  be  taught  the  rudi- 
ments of  anatomy  and  the  laws  protecting  life, 
as  one  must  study  the  mechanism  of  a  watch  to 
know  how  to  wind  and  to  keep  the  hands  in 
place ;  or  to  become  familiar  with  a  sewing  ma- 
chine or  a  musical  instrument ;  yet  there  is  greater 
need  for  knowledge  of  the  formation  of  the  human 
body  than  for  all  other  instruments  for  work  or 
pleasure,  as  the  weal  or  woe  of  one's  whole  life 
depends  upon  the  fidelity  of  this,  our  temple  of 
the  living  soul. 

This  vitalized  machine  designed  to  carry  us 
through  life's  varied  scenes  and  experiences  from 
birth  to  ripe  old  age,  which  should  be  untram- 
meled  by  disease,  that  the  soul  may  garner  its 
rich  harvest  of  well-spent  time  and  may  be  strong 
and  earnest  in  its  grasp  for  the  knowledge  of 
many  things  to  lift  it  to  a  desirable  position  when 
the  mortal  may  be  laid  aside  for  immortality. 

Wisdom  and  love  should  be  encouraged  to 
bloom  as  the  early  flowers  of  spring,  that  the 
living  entity,  the  soul  within  may  unfold  while 
here  on  earth  from  its  infant  growth  to  that  of 
more  magnificent  proportions,  eventually  to  co- 
ordinate with  the  great  universal  Architect  of 
both  the  world,  and  its  inhabitants,  to  whom 
we  may  bow  in  deepest  love  for  all  the  blessings 
that  are  bestowed  upon  us.  His  children. 

The  more  we  know  about  any  mechanical  con- 


258  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

struction,  the  greater  care  we  are  able  to  bestow 
upon  it,  the  longer  it  will  last  and  the  more  good 
may  be  achieved  from  its  use.  The  law  holds 
firmly  with  the  proper  keeping  of  our  bodies,  the 
use  of  which  is  of  a  hundred  fold  more  import- 
ance than  casual  reflection  might  suggest,  not 
alone  in  the  production  and  culmination  of  indi- 
vidual acquirements,  with  powder  to  create  and  to 
maintain  the  symmetry  and  likeness  of  progeni- 
tors, nor  alone  for  the  manifold  advantages  and 
perfection  in  this  world  during  time,  but  that 
through  the  existence  of  the  human  race  a  higher 
grade  of  development  might  continually  unfold 
to  the  credit,  honor  and  importance  of  both  the 
world  and  the  workers  who  have  been  thus  or- 
dained since  time  began  as  necessary  factors  in 
the  great  problem  of  the  universe. 

It  is  our  duty  and  should  be  our  greatest  pleas- 
ure, as  world  workers  under  the  great  Master 
Mind,  to  be  obedient,  intelligent,  helpful  children, 
not  cringing  slaves  and  disinterested  employes 
to  follow  out  the  rule  laid  down  for  our  unqual- 
ified acceptance,  but  as  children  of  one  great 
Parent  God  having  a  mutual  claim  as  rightful 
heirs,  to  all  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from 
the  application  of  these  laws  which  are  as  neces- 
sary and  imperative  as  the  solar  light  to  the 
growth  of  plants. 

All  human  beings,  every  sect  and     race     are 


KNOW    THYSELF 


259 


vitally  concerned  and  richly  rewarded  by  strict 
obedience  to  these  laws  and  regulations  for  our 
normal  growth  and  our  greatest  good,  for  our 
fitness  to  hold  our  appointed  places  and  to  per- 
form our  wonted  duties  in  the  great  workship  of 
the  universe,  by  Divine  command. 

The   disregard   of   this   duty   whether   through 
ignorance  or  neglect,  means  disaster.     Through 
obedience  and  rational  submission  we  are  v^ork- 
ing   out   our   inheritance,   our   oneness   with   the 
Father.  As  we  are  prepared  and  fitted  for  promotion, 
higher  thoughts  will  emanate  then  from  our  dor- 
mant mental  state,  so  that  when  we  have  traveled 
long  enough  through  this  material     abode,     we 
shall  be  prepared  to  cast  aside  our  earthly  robes 
and   to   intelligently   enter  a  higher  sphere  with 
habiliments  to  suit  our  new  condition;  accepting 
positions  of  trust  and  love,  assuming  greater  re- 
sponsibilities,  coming  nearer  the  great   spiritual 
source  of  life  and  intelligence  until  all  are  linked 
together ;  until  hands  of  earth  are  grasping  hands 
above  and  in  one  grand  circle  we  shall  be  brought 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  great  First  Cause  and 
shall  participate  in  all  the  glories  of  the  radiant 
love    that    unceasingly    flows     from    this    Central 
Source,  as  members  of  one  great  universal  family, 
teaching  and  being  taught  through  time  without 
end. 


WE  REAP  AS  WE  SOW 

^THE  Soul  of  the  universe,  the  center  of  life, 
%•  the  all-moving  power  is  firm  and  unwavering. 
To  obey  the  dictates  of  reason,  to  be  led  by  the 
spirit  of  right,  to  be  moved  by  an  impulse,  to  act 
and  to  do  rather  than  to  wait  until  the  opportu- 
nity shall  pass,  is  the  way  to  accomplish  the 
work  that  is  ready,  laid  out  and  planned  by  the 
great  Architect  who  holds  supreme  supervision 
over  all  His  domain.  A  world  to  Him  is  no  more 
than  a  unit  or  an  atom  would  be  to  one  of  His 
children. 

His  far-reaching  sight  comprehends  everything 
and  His  word  and  will  are  felt  in  all  places  as  a 
mandate  that  must  be  obeyed.  There  is  no  power 
to  repeal  the  laws  He  provides  for  the  obedience 
of  atoms,  as  well  as  the  planets  and  suns  of  the 
great  universe. 

The  parents  of  a  large  family  consider  the  wel- 
fare of  all  from  the  eldest  down  to  the  infant.  A 
provision  is  made  for  the  comfort  of  the  stately 
young  man  and  for  his  place  in  the  world  as  a 
worker,  but  the  warmth  and  care  of  the  very 
young  child  hold  as  much  interest  in  the  heart  of 
the  parents,  and  as  much  is  done  for  its  wellbeing 
as  is  done  for  the  other,  but  their  necessities  dif- 
fer. So  in  the  great  plan  of  nature,  each  member 
of  the  universal  family  has  its  place  to  fill,  but  if 
the  seed  is  not  protected  there  will  be  no  stalk 
or  fruit. 


WE    REAP    AS    WE    SOW  261 

The  tiny  shrub  that  awakens  into  life  and  lifts 
its  feeble  form  above  the  sodden  earth,  has  come 
into  the  sunlight  of  existence  from  a  mere  speck 
and  yet  that  molecule  had  the  spark  of  life  that 
God  had  planted  in  it.  No  child  of  earth  need 
feel  so  humble  that  he  doubts  his  Father's  recogni- 
tion. Hold  fast  to  the  thought  that  he  is  one  of 
the  great  host  prepared  for  some  special  purpose 
and  be  ever  ready  to  respond  to  the  grand  intent 
to  win  the  prize.  Hold  up  the  head  toward  the 
sun  of  life  and  keep  the  heart  in  tune  with  right. 
Break  away  from  the  clods  and  rocks  and  press 
through  the  heavy  clay  and  get  a  start,  then  when 
that  step  is  taken  another  must  follow,  so  one  by 
one  the  growth  of  soul  develops  as  does  the  plant 
by  following  the  dictates  of  the  sun. 

The  revolutions  of  the  earth  afiford  an  opportu- 
nity for  vegetation  on  every  side,  for  every  sec- 
tion comes  to  catch  the  light  and  heat ;  there  is  no 
partiality  shown  any  special  portion  of  the  globe. 
All  things  have  a  right  to  exist  under  the  neces- 
sary circumstances.  The  cold  and  frigid  parts 
have  their  productions  useful  to  a  certain  class. 
The  torrid  zone  yields  wealth  but  sparsely  found 
in  the  realms  of  ice,  while  the  more  temperate  re- 
gions of  the  earth  bring  forth  products  fitted  to 
the  use  of  mortals  wherever  found,  and  all  these 
sections  draw  at  stated  times  the  life  force  the  sun 
can  give. 

So  from  pole  to  pole  the  products  are  such  as 


262  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

land  or  ocean  beds  can  yield,  and  if  human  be- 
ings weary  of  the  zone  they  occupy  neither  the 
earth  nor  sun  can  change  to  meet  his  wants  or 
his  desires,  but  he  must  change  locality  and  he 
will  share  the  same  blessings  others  do,  and  so 
from  place  to  place  he  has  the  opportunity  of  se- 
curing advantages  to  be  enjoyed  in  all. 

If  we  reach  out  our  hands  to  pluck  the  fruit, 
we  must  be  careful  of  the  thorns,  or  instead  of 
the  treasure  we  hope  to  gain  we  may  receive 
what  does  us  harm.  However,  man  has  reason 
and  perception  and  should  have  forethought  and 
judgment,  these  are  his  guides  by  God  ordained, 
and  if  these  attributes  are  not  utilized  to  decide 
which  way  to  go  to  secure  the  prize,  then  time, 
energy  and  means  are  sacrificed  without  gaining 
the  object  sought. 

There  is  no  golden  road  to  success,  no  silver 
path  to  happiness.  The  way  is  open  and  it  is 
for  man  to  build  according  to  his  means  and 
judgment.  The  intellect  under  fair  development 
is  equal  to  the  task  of  laying  out  the  work  and 
deciding  which  path  to  take  to  win  the  object 
wanted.  If  one  searches  for  pearls  in  beds  of 
lime,  or  diamonds  in  alluvial  soil,  search  would 
end  in  failure.  If  for  delicious  fruits  of  exquisite 
flavor  he  must  study  the  localities  where  climate 
and  soil  render  them  prolific.  To  seek  for  fruit 
while  trees  are  budding  would  be  a  futile  search. 

Good   luck  is  said  to  follow  some,  while  bad 


WARRANTED     REBELLION  263 

luck  is  the  fate  of  others.  It  is  not  luck,  good  or 
bad.  When  conditions  prosper  it  is  through  intel- 
ligence. We  blindly  grapple  with  the  world  re- 
gardless of  deposits,  expecting  to  find  gold  in 
nuggets  where  no  metal  can  be  found,  then  com- 
plain that  God  is  partial  because  the  rich  can 
gather  wealth  and  the  poor  are  left  in  want. 

Some  may  soar  to  heights  of  opulence  while 
others  almost  starve.  It  is  not  God's  choice  that 
this  should  be.  In  reason,  in  season,  the  Father 
would  have  His  children  equal  in  all  of  their  ca- 
pacities, but  through  the  laws  of  heredity  and  the 
surroundings  of  each  at  birth,  the  influence  tends 
to  make  them  otherwise. 

The  germs  of  seeds  in  fallow  ground  will 
come  to  beauty  and  perfection,  while  those 
strewn  upon  rocks  and  sand  will  fail  to  flourish 
and  to  yield,  and  others  will  perish  by  the  way 
for  want  of  place  to  grow,  proving  the  old  axiom 
tht  "We  shall  reap  as  we  sow." 


WARRANTED  REBELLION 

II  HE  wheels  of  the  world  are  continually 
1/  turning,  the  seasons  are  changing  without 
interruption.  The  springtime  and  summer,  the 
autumn  and  winter  are  never  disturbed  in  their 
annual  procession.    Order  and  system  are  main- 


SI 


264  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

tained  with  the  planets.  The  laws  of  attraction 
and  repulsion  are  forever  at  work  developing 
crystals  and  rocks  and  great  fields  of  coal,  and 
ledges  of  iron,  silver  and  gold- 
Particles  unite  with  like,  on  line  and  in  order 
without  interruption,  for  the  law  of  repulsion 
excludes  all  damaging  substance  that  cannot  har- 
monize and  unite.  Such  discordant  elements  are 
ignored  as  component  parts  of  the  diamond,  sil- 
ver, gold  and  other  valuable  minerals  or  metals. 
Opposites,  chemically  speaking  may  lie  to- 
gether side  by  side,  they  may  be  imbedded  one 
with  another,  making  a  compact  mass,  but  do 
not  coalesce  and  form  a  union ;  they  quietly  re- 
main with  no  apparent  conflict ;  each  holds  its 
place  until  some  disturbance  interferes,  some 
great  heat  producing  phenomenon,  whether 
spontaneous  or  provoked  through  mortal  inter- 
ference ;  as  the  smelter  through  a  heating  pro- 
cess causes  a  separation  and  the  particles  of  gold 
being  fused  by  the  intensity  of  the  heat  are  made 
to  flow  together,  harmoniously  uniting,  each  with 
its  kind  forming  a  golden  stream  while  the  dross 
or  mineral,  the  rock  or  sand  is  separated  and 
forms  a  compound  of  its  own.  A  war  among  the 
elements,  a  disturbing  influence  broke  in  upon 
the  peace  which  perhaps  for  centuries  had  been 
imdisturbed. 

Thus  individuals  unlike  in  disposition,  in  bod- 
ily texture  and  development     of     intellect     may 


WARRANTED     REBELLION 


265 


dwell  together  and  abide  in  close  proximity  as  a 
community  under  the  same  shelter  with  but  lit- 
tle interruption  of  apparent  harmony,  but  when 
some  disturbing  force  is  brought  to  bear  upon 
that  family  or  nation,  great  antagonism  may  be 
started,  and  great  differences  arise  giving  an 
evidence  of  increasing  discord,  until  a  domestic 
or  social  revolution  follows,  to  the  destruction  of 
a  once  peaceful  community  or  a  nation's  tran- 
quility, and  we  proclaim  treason,  anarchy,  ine- 
quality and  a  disruption  of  all  the  ties  of  former 
brotherhood — even  the  devastation  of  war  may 
be  the  result.  Great  danger  is  apprehended,  one 
man  lifts  his  hand  against  another,  brothers  quar- 
rel, husbands  and  wives  disagree  and  separa- 
tions follow. 

The  class  that  sympathizes  with  the  rebellious 
party,  and  sees,  through  the  light  of  reason  that 
there  is  a  better  way  to  live,  cannot  consent  to 
be  held  by  the  shackles  of  ignorance  or  selfish 
ambition.  Then  when  all  logic  and  arguments 
fail  to  move  the  stolid  senses,  and  arbitration  has 
no  effect  to  enlighten  the  understanding  or  to 
lessen  the  rigid  grasp  upon  the  oppressed  and 
belligerent  class,  patience  ceases  to  be  a  virtue 
and  they  rise  with  indignation  and  combat  the 
usurpation. 

The  heat  and  tumult  of  the  distracted  popu- 
lace bid  them  rise  and  enforce  rebellion.  Like 
the  molten  particles  of  gold  that  flow  together 


266  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

the  attractive  and  repellent  forces  separate  friend 
and  foe  and  the  conquered  ones  must  yield  to  the 
stern  mandate  of  what  is  considered  justice,  but 
early  or  late  the  light  of  truth  will  shine,  until  all 
can  see  that  error  must  and  will  be  subdued  and 
that  right  shall  predominate. 

Then  peace  and  prosperity  will  triumph.  The 
selfish  passions  will  subside  from  the  minds  of 
such  as  would  have  crushed  all  freedom  of  speech 
or  even  of  thought,  and  peace  is  established.  The 
coalition  that  follows  gives  an  evidence  of  the 
necessity  of  expression,  if  it  must  be  through  war, 
for  the  sake  of  peace. 

So  in  the  human  body,  a  rebellion  between  or- 
gans and  conditions  amounts  to  discord  and  dis- 
ease. Improper  food  very  soon  rouses  a  belliger- 
ent condition  of  the  digestive  organs  and  excites 
a  warfare  and  general  disturbance,  from  which 
suffering  will  result.  When  other  irregularities 
occur,  such  as  surface  exposure,  a  war  breaks  out 
in  the  lungs,  throat  and  bronchial  tubes,  or  rheu- 
matic pains  attack  the  limbs  or  back.  There  are 
many  causes  for  rebellious  action  throughout  the 
physical  domain.  When  by  some  unwarranted 
pressure  over  the  vital  organs  and  other  yielding 
parts  stagnation  takes  place,  pain,  inconvenience 
and  mental  depression  follow,  the  evidence  of 
which  is  not  only  suffering  by  the  one  individual 
but  the  household  will  be  disturbed,  the  whole 
nation  of  tissues  and  organs  will  open  up  a  con- 


WARRANTED    REBELLION 


267 


flict,  a  battle  for  individual  rights  and  there  must 
be  peace,  or  death  will  terminate  the  struggle. 

These  physical  conflicts  between  the  laws  of 
life  and  unphysiological  acts  is  something  we 
should  all  recognize  for  the  welfare  of  the  temple 
we,  in  health,  so  gracefully  and  comfortably  in- 
habit. The  morbid  conditions  that  are  often  ap- 
parent are  a  great  detriment  to  the  indwelling 
spirit,  or  the  ego  that  claims  the  poor  wreck  of 
a  body  as  its  unworthy  estate. 

We,  as  intelligent  self-respecting  individuals, 
should  assert  our  power  and  dignity  in  self-con- 
trol, and  not  permit  the  appetites  and  passions  to 
hold  full  sway,  which  of  themselves  are  right  and 
have  their  proper  use,  but  when  uncontrolled  by 
reason  will  lead  the  entire  fabric  to  destruction. 
The  higher  faculties  of  the  mind,  as  reason  and 
will,  should  triumph  and  command,  so  that  every 
part  of  the  human  frame  and  all  of  the  delicate 
structures  will  be  maintained  in  a  normal  state 
and  no  part  shall  be  reduced  in  strength  or  over- 
taxed. 

Give  freedom  to  the  lungs  and  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  chest ;  give  the  heart  a  chance  to 
take  its  important  part  in  the  movement  of  the 
blood,  or  war  will  be  declared,  an  early  death  or 
conditions  more  deplorable,  loss  of  mental  power, 
forgetfulness,  unwarranted  anxiety,  strange  and 
vague  ideas,  thoughts  impure  or  of  a  self-de- 
structive character. 


268  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE   TIME 

Let  all  be  wise  and  watch  the  citadel  of  life  with 
great  care,  it  being  the  temple  of  the  living  soul 
by  the  Master  Mind  prepared  to  hold  the  fort  on 
earth  until  the  life-work  is  accomplished  and  the 
soul  is  free  to  pass  the  open  gate  at  the  threshold 
of  Paradise. 


"EXALTED  BEAUTY." 

ALL  nature  is  teeming  with  beauty  from  the 
sparkling  dew  upon  the  grass  to  the  shining 
orbs  of  night.  There  are  various  grades  of 
beauty  from  the  opaque  blocks  of  coal  that  fill 
our  grates  to  the  luminous  gems  exhumed  from 
depths  below;  gems  unseen  by  mortal  eyes 
while  stored  away  among  the  rocks  and  sand  as 
if  too  precious  for  them  to  gaze  upon. 

Treasures  seldom  lie  upon  the  surface,  they 
must  be  sought  to  appreciate  their  worth,  and 
many  times,  the  deeper  down  we  delve  the  richer 
the  ore  will  be.  It  is  so  with  human  nature.  The 
rough  exterior  of  many  a  mortal  would  never  at- 
tract the  eye,  unless  perhaps  to  scorn  or  turn 
away  with  no  desire  to  hold  the  features  in  mem- 
ory but  from  association  and  a  better  understand- 
ing, the  plain  and  unattractive  face,  and  perhaps 
misshapen  form,  are  overlooked,    if    not    trans- 


EXALTED     BEAUTY 


269 


formed  by  the  perceptible  beauty  of  the  soul  that 
illuminates  the  countenance  and  seems  to  change 
the  distorted  body  to  an  object  we  are  glad  to 
gaze  upon.  The  noble  thoughts  we  hear  ex- 
pressed, the  loving  words,  the  real  heart-felt  good 
will  that  flows  more  perceptibly  from  deeds  than 
words,  constitute  a  beauty  that  lives  and  bright- 
ens, it  expands,  and  no  doubt  angels  would  bow 
their  heads  in  admiration  if  not  reverence,  to  such 
gifted  souls  even  if  the  form  is  withered  and  the 
exterior  unattractive  to  the  world. 

The  black  walnut  shell,  though  dark  and  rough, 
holds  the  kernel  which  is  sweet  and  full  of  nour- 
ishment. The  human  races  differ  in  their  size, 
form  and  complexion,  but  if  we  knew  how  to 
view  the  character,  the  real  hidden  self,  we 
would  often  find  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the 
coarse  hard  nut,  the  beauty  and  goodness  of  which 
lies  within.  And  underneath  the  dark  and  swar- 
thy human  shell  there  might  be  found  a  soul  bet- 
ter fitted  for  a  higher  life  than  is  often  held  by- 
forms  of  lighter  hue  and  more  atractive  to  the 
sight.  If  we  could  but  penetrate  the  inner  nature 
of  the  darker  races  we  should  no  doubt  be  much 
amazed  at  the  sparkling  life,  the  love,  the  trust 
and  faith  they  hold. 

When  we  crack  the  walnut  shell  a  laughing  fra- 
grance invites  the  taste  and  there  is  nutriment 
and  strength  within  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
some  important  work.    So  let  us  learn  to  see  and 


270  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

understand  that  good  does  not  exist  alone  in 
flowers  most  beautiful  in  color,  and  most  gor- 
geous in  form.  Many  times  a  poisonous  exhalation 
is  floating  in  the  air  from  a  source  of  beauty 
growing  there,  a  something  unseen  and  unsus- 
pected until  absorption  or  actual  contact  has 
caused  the  body  to  rebel,  and  heat  and  pain  may 
be  experienced  as  the  face  or  hands  begin  to  pain 
and  swell ;  while  other  flowers  less  pretentious 
may  be  gathered,  held  in  the  hand  or  closely 
pressed  upon  the  breast,  or  may  be  consumed  as 
food  for  health  and  strength. 

The  illustration  might  be  carried  through  all 
the  grades  of  animated  nature  and  through  the 
cold  unshapely  stones  and  rocks  from  anthracite 
to  diamonds  which  glitter  and  attract  the  atten- 
tion and  admiration  and  win  regard  from  the  am- 
bitious, although  belonging  to  the  same  elemental 
mass  as  does  the  anthracite  which  gives  comfort 
to  many  by  the  heat  it  will  develop. 

Who  will  not  declare  that  coal  of  any  grade 
does  more  to  bless  by  the  heat  it  generates,  not 
alone  for  comfort,  but  for  the  movement  of  ma- 
chinery on  land  and  sea,  and  is  of  more  general 
use  for  practical  purposes  than  diamonds  of  the 
richest  luster  and  other  gems,  which  of  them- 
selves would  be  of  little  value  save  for  their  scarc- 
ity and  their  brilliancy  which  pleases  the  eye  and 
gratifies  the  pride  and  vanity  of  surface-admiring 
humanity  ? 


01 


THE  EFFICACY  OF  PRAYER 

l|ilE  Prince  of  Peace,  the  Over  Soul  is  uni- 
versal, and  any  appeal  that  mortals  make  in 
word  or  thought  immediately  rises  to  the  throne 
of  God.  Thought  vibrations  may  be  compared  to 
the  rapid  transition  of  the  sun's  warm  rays,  or 
to  the  rippling  stream  or  river's  bed  when  some 
solid  substance  has  disturbed  the  water,  the  effect 
of  which  is  seen  at  first,  but  the  impetus  that 
object  gave  will  never  cease  until  the  waves  have 
borne  it  to  the  broad  expanse  of  lake  or  ocean, 
which  may  be  compared  to  the  great  Godhead. 

So  prayer,  or  appeals  by  mortals  made,  afifect 
the  ocean  of  spirit  and  by  this  reflex  action  the 
one  who  sends  out  a  supplication  feels  that  the 
prayer  is  answered  and  relief  is  found  in  the  very 
fact  of  asking. 

The  principles  of  right  and  justice  are  fixed  and 
stable,  and  a  prayer  that  would  counteract  or 
annul  a  righteous  law,  in  all  reason,  would  be  in- 
eflfective,  while  if  the  appeal  is  in  harmony  with 
right  and  reason,  the  answer  comes  for  the  help 
and  comfort  of  the  appealing  ones,  verifying  the 
encouraging  words  "Ask  and  it  shall  be  given," 
"Knock  and  ye  shall  enter."  Prayer  is  a  world 
mover,  but  as  love  must  be  controlled  by  wisdom, 
however  much  the  heart  may  yearn,  so  prayer 
must  be  of  a  wholesome  nature. 

The  wish  that  is  implored  must  not  be  to  harm 


272  THE    LOGIC   OF   A    LIFE    TIME 

another,  or  to  take  advantage  of  a  foe,  or  the  re- 
sistance of  the  vibrations  may  cast  the  dagger 
back  with  a  force  that  may  overwhelm  the  sub- 
ject that  emanated  the  merciless  desire.  To  be 
answered,  there  must  be  some  ultimate  good 
hoped  for.  Not  revenge  upon  an  offender,  or  for 
some  misfortune  to  overtake  an  enemy,  or  for  some 
disaster  to  fall  upon  another  to  appease  what 
seems  to  be  an  injury  done. 

For  prayer  to  be  eflfective  there  must  be  some 
worthy  end  in  view,  then  a  response  will  come 
from  the  natural  helpers  who  hold  a  place  most 
near  our  consciousness,  who  are  most  closely  at- 
tracted, either  by  the  ties  of  kinship  or  by  con- 
geniality of  natures,  or  more  exalted  entities  will 
intercede.  From  one  degree  to  another  there 
will  be  a  recognition  of  the  yearning  heart  and 
the  vibrations  will  pass  to  higher  and  more  ex- 
alted spheres,  until  they  are  lost  in  the  great  ocean 
of  love,  forbearance,  mercy  and  forgiveness.  So 
earnest  desire,  wisely  directed,  is  a  motor  power 
for  the  advancement  of  mankind  from  the  selfish 
plane  of  retaliation  to  a  state  of  higher  and 
broader  thought,  to  a  greater  breadth  of  soul,  to  a 
more  abundant  faith  in  God  and  man  and  to  the 
betterment  of  the  world. 

The  soul  that  bows  in  humble  wish  to  conquer 
self  or  to  be  enabled  to  assist  another,  develops 
into  greater  excellency  through  the  effort  to 
speak  with  God  and  to  petition  Him  for  greater 


SOUL     UNFOLDMENT  273 

wisdom,  more  patience  and  more  universal  love 
for  all  humanity,  that  we  may  more  nearly  ap- 
proach the  Spirit  Light  directing  and  leading  us 
on  to  Deity. 


SOUL  UNFOLDMENT 

'Jjlll'  HAT  is  the  object  of  existence  but  for  the  ad- 
44^  vancement  of  the  soul  ?  To  merely  live  to  eat 
and  work  and  gather  together  material  things, 
to  heap  up  wealth  that  perishes,  and  to  plan  for 
enjoyment  would  be  but  a  meager  compensation, 
a  shallow  source  of  permanent  happiness,  for  all 
such  schemes  and  plans  are  but  as  evanescent 
dreams ;  they  are  today,  and  tomorrow  they  are 
not,  save  the  memory  of  what  had  been. 

Such  opportunities  are  as  trimmings  to  a  gown, 
as  ornaments  to  a  building;  they  are  the  light  and 
airy  frivolities  of  life;  a  condition  of  temporary 
endurance  to  beguile  the  mind  from  the  fatigue 
and  worry  of  daily  strife ;  a  something  to  look  for- 
ward to  with  hoped-for  pleasure,  some  prospect 
in  the  near  future,  or  more  distant,  differing  from 
the  drudgery  of  the  present  time.  Such  antic- 
ipated pleasures  serve  to  rest  the  brain  from 
heavy  work  and  afiford  a  hoped-for  grateful 
change  for  the  weary  body. 


274  THK    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

They  fringe  out  the  day's  hard  toil  and  some- 
times they  come  into  our  experiences  like  an  un- 
expected flower,  glowing  with  beauty  and  rich 
perfume  for  a  brief  time,  then  fades,  withers  and 
decays,  leaving  the  debris  of  what  was  but  re- 
cently a  gay  and  fragrant  rose  that  now  proves 
to  be  an  object  of  repulsion. 

So  with  much  of  the  hoped-for  happiness  in  this 
world,  it,  while  in  prospect  is  alluring,  stimu- 
lates the  dormant  energy ;  our  hope  looms  up 
and  buoys  us  on  and  over  many  rough,  hard  days. 
Or  when  some  heavy  task  is  over,  a  friend  may 
come  and  make  the  time  seem  short.  A  visit  is 
proposed  to  some  dear  one  to  whose  presence  we 
have  been  denied  perhaps  for  years ;  or  some  joy- 
ous society  claims  us  as  a  guest  and  all  is  made 
glad  for  us.  The  holiday  approaching  has  been  a 
beacon  to  light  the  way  of  many  who  for  months 
have  wrought  in  wood  or  clay,  or  who  with  house- 
hold duties  have  been  overwhelmed,  but  the  work 
was  easier,  the  tasks  were  lightened  by  the 
thought  of  what  this  short  vacation  might  afford. 
Then  for  others  the  country  drive  or  the  moon- 
light walk  with  one  they  love.  These  cheery  hours 
plucked  from  days  and  weeks  of  arduous,  heavy 
and  oppressive  duties  mingled  with  anxiety,  care 
and  grief  are  blessings  to  the  tired,  and  many 
times,  discouraged  mortals  on  their  way  through 
life. 

It  is  well  that  some  brighter  spots  are  found, 


SOUL     UNFOLDMENT 


275 


something  fresh  and  green,  but  all  the  passing 
pleasures  that  greet  us  on  our  way  would  be  as 
trifles,  mere  bubbles  in  the  air  if  there  were  no 
greater  object  for  existence. 

This  expression  would  be  so  brief,  the  pleasures 
all  so  evanescent  and  often  so  disappointing  that 
the  greatest  joy  is  often  in  the  anticipation ;  the 
reality  does  not  always  equal  the  hopes  we  enter- 
tain, and  considering  the  loss  and  gain,  if  this 
were  all  of  life  it  would  scarcely  be  worth  the  liv- 
ing. The  plan  would  not  be  worthy  the  work  of 
Deity.  As  illustration  :  if  a  man  work  hard  by  day 
and  ponder  night  after  night  over  the  construc- 
tion of  a  building,  having  a  home  in  view,  he  ex- 
hausts his  brain  in  the  thoughts  as  well  as  his 
strength  by  labor,  as  to  the  best  plan  to  build  the 
house.  All  the  details  are  considered  for  use  and 
beauty.  One  decision  develops  the  necessity  for 
another,  and  when  the  house  is  finished  it  is  far 
superior  to  the  first  design ;  more  rooms,  greater 
conveniences,  is  more  artistic,  almost  beyond 
what  he  would  have  believed  a  possibility  of  his 
conception,  but  step  by  step  thought  developed. 
The  mental  faculties  were  brought  into  action, 
each  one  had  something  of  interest  to  dwell  upon, 
so  the  mind  of  the  builder  developed  as  the  build- 
ing progressed,  and  when  the  last  nail  was 
driven,  when  the  structure  was  complete  the 
founder  of  this  mechanism  was  a  different  man. 
He  has  broader  views  of  life ;  his  love  of  beauty 


276 


THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 


has  increased;  his  mechanical  ingenuity  lias  de- 
veloped ;  his  wonder  is  excited  at  his  own  growth ; 
he  now  meets  men  upon  an  equal  plane,  that  once 
he  looked  upon  as  his  superiors ;  he  now  feels  in- 
dependent, more  self-reliant  and  self-respecting. 

The  conception  of  that  house  and  the  improved 
construction  broadened  his  ideas,  gave  him  some- 
thing of  interest  upon  which  to  exert  his  mind  and 
body,  and  all  from  this  most  unexpected  school. 

So  we  unconsciously  grow  to  be  wiser  men  and 
women.  And  we  may  logically  suggest  that  if 
this  builder  of  the  model  building  did  not  drive 
a  nail,  nor  smooth  a  board  nor  lift  his  hand  to 
raise  the  structure,  but  simply  guides  the  actual 
builder  in  every  step  of  progress,  the  two  are  un- 
folding to  greater  thought  and  to  a  higher  grade 
of  usefulness,  both  the  builder  and  the  laborer. 

Or  should  the  builder  be  a  millionaire  with  no 
necessity  for  physical  labor,  his  brain  is  taxed  as 
to  the  safety  of  his  immense  wealth,  for  great 
caution  is  required  and  constant  presence  of  mind 
to  avert  calamity  or  such  circumstances  as  might 
result  in  loss  of  property.  So  with  this  to  claim 
his  thought  and  his  building  enterprise  drawing 
on  his  mind,  he  must  keep  a  double  pace. 

Then  after  all  the  work  is  done  and  the  edifice 
is  complete  all  prospects  seem  fair  that  he  and  his 
loved  ones  shall  find  a  luxuriant  shelter  there, 
that  peace  and  contentment  shall  be  commingled 
with  comforts,  but  alas !    before    the    year    has 


SOUL     UNFOLDMENT 


277 


passed  a  great  fire  breaks  out  that  levels  this 
beautiful  abode  to  ashes,  the  roof  falls,  the  walls 
crash,  the  crystal  windows  are  shattered,  the  lurid 
flames  wrap  every  part  and  when  the  sad  work  is 
done,  there  lie  the  relics  of  ambition,  the  work 
and  struggle  of  a  life,  destroyed  in  less  time  than 
is  required  to  tell  the  story. 

Such  is  the  fate  of  worldly  things,  yet  the  time 
was  not  lost  in  the  building.  A  mental  picture 
had  been  materialized,  then  swept  away  leaving 
a  blank  with  no  beauty  in  the  wreck,  yet  this  is 
emblematic  of  man,  or  the  human  family,  an  evi- 
dence of  the  unstability  of  this  world's  accumula- 
tions. So  it  is  and  so  it  must  be  for  our  advance- 
ment. All  the  mental  labor  and  experience  in- 
volved in  our  efifort  here  to  accomplish  a  little 
more  than  others,  are  lessons  for  the  souls  devel- 
opment, incentives,  stimulate,  a  prize  for  which 
we  work,  although  we  are  unconscious,  at  the 
time  of  the  real  worth  in  store  for  us  outside  of 
the  object  we  thought  to  have  had  in  view.  It 
is  an  experience  school  for  soul  development  and 
doubtless  this  growth  received  through  hard 
work,  privations,  earnest  thought  and  perhaps 
misfortune  continues  after  the  mortal  form  is 
laid  aside.  The  foundation  is  started  on  earth  to 
branch  out  and  bloom  in  the  life  to  come. 

How  little  the  inventor  knows  of  the  future  ef- 
fects of  his  experiments.  The  builder  here  on 
earth  is  not  aware  that  he  is  doing  greater  work 


278  THK    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

than  the  world  detects,  by  buihling  up  himself, 
and  fitting  his  soul  for  higher  positions  in  the 
world  to  come  by  what  he  does  on  earth. 

There  has  to  be  a  motive,  there  must  seem  to 
be  a  necessity  that  wc  must  accomplish  some- 
thing here,  in  order  to  induce  the  effort  put  forth ; 
some  prospect  of  enjoyment  or  a  desire  to  accom- 
plish something  in  our  time,  but  the  object  in 
view  is  trifling  compared  to  the  result  from  the 
efTort  made  in  gaining  it.  And  so  it  is  in  all  our 
work,  the  lesson  holds  good  in  all  our  worldly 
aims,  for  our  soul  growth  must  come  to  us  by  our 
eflforts  started  here.  This  life  is  the  school  for 
both  children  and  adults. 

There  is  a  use,  an  actual  benefit  from  the  work 
we  bestow  on  the  simplest  piece  of  art.  To  draw 
or  paint  the  most  insignificant  flower  or  fruit 
develops  a  natural  ability  and  increases  talent. 
The  weakest  attempt  at  music  starts  vibrations 
of  the  soul  and  turns  it  to  a  higher  key,  and  it  is 
by  all  these  opportunities  we  are  being  prepared 
for  a  higher  grade  in  the  life  to  follow  this. 

Health  should  be  preserved  and  our  days  on 
earth  prolonged  to  give  us  time  to  prepare  to 
enter  the  higher  grades  in  the  world  we  are  des- 
tined to  share  with  the  multitudes  that  have  pre- 
ceded us.  Time  is  brief  here,  even  the  longest 
period  given.  If  it  requires  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  years  or  more  to  be  awarded  a  certificate  for 
a  business   life  on   earth   limited  to  three   score 


SOUL    UNFOLDMENT 


279 


and  ten  years  or  even  another  score  be  added, 
how  long  may  we  suppose  the  time  should  be  to 
prepare  us  for  an  endless  life,  for  eternity?  And 
if  we  are  not  prepared  through  the  opportunities 
afYorded  us  on  earth  for  what  we  call  a  higher 
life,  the  life  to  come  may  not  be  much  if  any 
higher  than  the  life  we  lived  on  earth. 

This  is  a  time  to  learn  from  the  advantages 
provided  for  us  here ;  they  may  not  be  as  great, 
or  as  well  fitted  to  our  wants  in  another  sphere. 

To  fit  the  acorn  to  be  a  tall  and  branching  tree, 
the  place  to  hold  it  is  the  earth,  down  in  the  very 
soil,  and  if  it  does  not  germinate  while  there  it 
will  not  fulfill  its  mission  suspended  in  the  air. 
The  roots  will  not  project  nor  the  stalk  become 
the  towering  tree  it  might  have  been  had  condi- 
tions favored  it. 

Then  in  wisdom  and  gratitude  let  us  be  up  and 
doing,  and  give  ourselves  a  chance  equal  to  the 
design  of  a  wise,  all-knowing  Providence,  and 
protect  these  outer  coverings,  these  temples  of 
the  living  soul.  There  are  no  lessons  prepared 
for  US  ;  we  cannot  grasp  and  learn,  if  we  will  but 
comprehend  the  utility  of  every  organ  making 
up  the  fabric  of  the  human  form,  for  in  it  alone 
can  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  earthly  being. 
\\"hen  this  temple  is  wrecked  with  pain,  when  the 
mind  or  ruler  of  the  throne  of  thought  becomes 
impaired  in  strength,  the  soul  is  crippled  in  its 
development.     We  are  doing  an  injustice  to  our 


280  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

better  natures  and  instead  of  peace  and  happi- 
ness and  daily  growth,  the  achievement  we 
might  have  secured  is  checked  and  we  must  ac- 
cept the  disadvantage  we  have  brought  upon 
ourselves,  and  must  forfeit  the  reward  in  store 
for  all  children  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  is 
impartial,  wishing  all  to  be  blessed  with  health, 
happiness  and  prosperity  while  on  earth,  and  in 
all  respects  to  inherit  the  reward  of  our  well- 
doing in  the  world  to  come. 


01 


MAN'S  HIGH  ESTATE 

ORGEOUS  and  grand  are  the  works  of  our 
Heavenly  Father.  The  mountains  and  hills, 
the  oceans  and  rivers,  the  rocks  and  the  trees, 
the  flowers  and  fruits  and  all  that  nature  aflfords 
from  the  smallest  atom  to  the  great  light-bear- 
ing orbs  in  the  far  distant  heavens,  are  all  as 
nothing  compared  with  the  children  of  earth,  the 
last  order  of  beings  brought  forth  by  the  Creator 
and  Father  of  all. 

The  trees  may  all  perish,  the  mountains  may 
fall,  the  oceans  dry  up  and  the  streams  cease  to 
flow,  the  stars  cease  to  glow,  the  sun  may  darken 
and  chill  and  the  world  may  collapse  into  an 
ocean  of  waste,  but  the  Spirit  of  man  will  live, 


MAN  S     HIGH     ESTATE 


281 


unfold,  develop  and  grow  to  the  eminent  position 
that  Christ  obtained,  to  live  in  the  light  and 
love  of  the  Lord. 

Spirit  is  life  and  life  is  eternal  No  fire  can 
destroy  the  spirit,  the  all  in  all  of  the  great  uni- 
verse of  which  we  are  a  part.  No  tornado  can 
harm,  no  ocean  can  drown,  the  weight  of  no 
mountain  can  crush  out  the  life  from  the  spirit 
of  man.  The  body  may  fall,  the  bones  may  be 
crushed,  the  blood  of  the  veins  may  be  emptied, 
the  heart  may  be  dragged  from  its  mortal  encase- 
ment, but  the  spirit  of  man  is  one  with  the 
Father,  and  there  is  no  power  on  earth  or  in 
heaven  to  annul  the  laws  of  the  Maker,  and  not 
until  He  is  destroyed  can  the  spirit  of  man  be 
demolished  or  lost  to  the  Father. 

We,  as  humanity  are  a  unit  with  God,  and  each 
individual  is  a  branch  of  the  great  tree  of  Life. 
In  very  truth  we  are  all  a  part  of  the  universal 
whole  and  where  the  Father  is,  there  His  children 
must  be,  even  the  feeblest  and  weakest  in  body 
or  mind,  for  such  is  the  law,  and  the  law  is  Di- 
vine and  unchanging  forever. 

The  mother's  affections  are  centered  upon  her 
feeblest  and  least  incompetent  child  ;  so  are  the 
weakest  and  least  able  of  the  children  of  God : 
they  are  held  more  closely  in  the  great  heart  of 
the  All-loving  Parent  who  claims  every  race  and 
color  as  His,  even  those  who  have  never  heard 
of  His  great  parental  affection  and  know  not  the 


282  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

source  of  their  life,  but  to  them  He  is  scattering 
the  seeds  of  intelligence  by  leading  the  more  en- 
lightened into  their  midst  to  share  with  them 
in  |heir  sad  condition.  These  are  made  to  feel 
it  tlieir  duty  to  go  and  try  to  appeal  to  their 
reason  and  to  point  out  to  them  a  higher  and  a 
better  way  than  to  worship  idols  of  silver  and 
gold. 

God's  messengers  go  forth  to  teach  the  nations 
in  foreign  lands  that  there  is  a  Father  of  Love, 
who  made  the  earth  and  who  rules  the  stars,  who 
loves  and  watches  over  all  His  children;  that 
there  is  no  good  to  come  from  bowing  down  to 
brass  and  stone,  the  sun  or  moon ;  that  these  are 
far  beneath  their  own  soul's  worth ;  that  such 
cannot  hear  nor  answer  prayer. 

They  are  sent  to  teach  these  deluded  ones  that 
God  is  spirit,  and  that  He  rules  both  heaven  and 
earth;  to  proclaim  His  word  through  nature's 
book  as  well  as  revelations,  to  work  with  these 
less  favored  ones  whose  law  is  might  instead  of 
right ;  who  have  no  conception  of  a  higher  life 
than  the  struggle  with  the  things  of  earth. 

To  raise  this  class  to  a  higher  grade  of  thought 
the  missionary  leaves  his  home  and  friends  to 
brave  the  dangers  found  among  them,  to  preach 
and  pray,  to  try  to  spread  a  little  light,  to  lift 
them  to  a  higher  idea  of  life  and  to  inspire  them 
with  some  conception  of  the  Father  who  will 
comfort  and  bless  them  with  his  unceasing  love 


man's    iinai    KSTATi;  283 

and  will  hold  them  in  His  unseen  hand  as  treas- 
ures very  dear;  whose  aid  will  be  to  them  in 
every  way  just  what  they  had  been  seeking,  but 
had  never  found  in  material  gods. 

When  these  to  whom  the  messengers  appeal 
become  conscious  of  their  real  condition,  when 
they  are  startled  into  recognition  of  their  error, 
they  will  approach  the  footstool  of  the  Father ; 
when  by  some  gentle  word  or  some  kind  act, 
more  light  is  shed  upon  their  awakening  con- 
science, greater  the  flame  will  burn  and  more 
clearly  can  they  perceive  the  Maker's  willing 
hand  extended  to  gather  them  into  the  fold  of 
His  more  enlightened  and  virtue-loving  children. 

Thus  by  constant  efifort  and  by  repeated  lessons 
these  spiritually  unsettled  ones  are  brought  to 
find  the  goal  of  their  prolonged  desire.  So  whether 
ignorant  or  educated  all  must  look  up  higher  in 
thought  and  aspiration  to  Him  who  is  the  source 
of  all  love  and  wisdom ;  who  is  all  merciful  and 
just;  v/ho  rules  the  universe  and  who  abides  in  us 
in  proportion  to  our  acceptance. 

Every  downward  step  we  take  prepares  the 
way  for  a  greater  fall,  until  at  last  our  souls  be- 
come plunged  into  the  dark  abyss  of  doubt, 
made  darker  by  despair.  To  secure  a  steadfast 
place  we  must  claim  our  natural  inheritance  and 
hold  it  through  increasing  grace  with  a  supreme 
love  for  good  and  a  mutual  love  for  our  fellow- 
men,  and  thus  follow  the  precepts  and  example  of 


284  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

Him  wlio  came  to  eartli  to  educate  and  to  redeem 
a  mistaken  people. 


THE  SOUL'S  UNREST 

^fHE  goal  Is  won  by  earnest  work,  by  effort 
\1^  that  is  untiring.  No  great  results  can  be 
achieved  without  some  toil  and  struggle.  None 
need  expect  to  accomplish  much,  who  are  not 
willing  to  work  for  the  prize  in  view. 

The  listless  idler  in  the  field  will  make  but  lit- 
tle hay,  and  he  whose  scythe  is  dull,  whose  face 
is  turned  the  other  way,  will  not  secure  the 
grain.  To  accomplish  something  one  must  work 
with  energy  and  will,  and  not  decline  to  make 
an  effort,  as  work  will  not  progress  in  a  success- 
ful way  if  the  reaper  lays  down  his  scythe  when 
the  grain  is  tall  and  ripe,  and  is  ready  to  be  cut. 

It  is  the  same  in  all  great  work;  when  the  time 
shall  come,  be  ready  and  do  not  hesitate.  Time 
for  no  man  will  wait,  and  conditions  cannot 
always  favor,  so  to  win  success  commence  at 
once,  while  the  grain  is  ripe  and  standing,  for  in 
an  hour's  time  the  winds  may  blow,  the  fall  of 
rain  may  crush  the  grain  and  disappointment  fol- 
low. 


THE    SOUL  S    UXREST 


285 


Whatever  is  worth  our  undertaking  with  the 
expectation  of  reward,  whether  in  commercial 
affairs,  or  in  the  world  of  letters,  if  any  good 
can  be  accomplished,  if  the  work  is  laudable  and 
worth  the  effort,  don't  procrastinate ;  delays  are 
disappointing. 

The  time  to  commence  in  any  reform  is  now. 
Why  defer,  why  permit  days,  weeks  and  months 
to  pass?  Why  prolong  the  worst  conditions 
when  improvements  can  be  made.  Some  little 
progress  clears  a  path  for  greater  benefits  to  fol- 
low, and  in  that  way  work  begins,  and  a  begin- 
ning carries  conviction  of  success,  and  well  con- 
ducted effort  will  win  the  suit  in  question. 

Many  great  discoveries  were  based  on  some 
trivial  circumstance,  the  recognition  of  which 
gave  rise  to  thought,  and  one  step  in  the  elab- 
oration prepared  the  way  for  another,  until 
greater  results  were  realized  than  had  ever  been 
conjectured.  One  favorable  production  being 
suggestive  of  another,  has  been  the  mode  for 
building  up  the  great  improvements  of  the  w'orld, 
and  ten  thousand  more  are  doubtless  waiting  for 
initiation,  or  an  opportunity  to  join  in  the  pro- 
gressive throng  for  the  benefit  of  the  human  race, 
physically  and  mentally,  for  every  thing  is  for 
man's  emolument,  for  his  comfort  and  his  growth, 
for  his  opportunity  of  spiritual   unfoldment. 

The  greater  the  advancement  of  the  human 
family  the  more  is  the  need  of  opportunities.  The 


286  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

old  adage  is  verified,  "the  more  we  have,  the  more 
we  want,"  which  is  correct  and  rational.  The 
more  the  mind  expands  the  greater  are  the  de- 
mands for  mental  food.  The  more  machinery  that 
comes  into  use,  the  greater  the  advantages  ap- 
pear, and  a  greater  need  is  felt  for  more ;  then 
some  other  invention  is  brought  out  from  man's 
great  storehouse  of  thought,  and  as  mechanism 
is  encouraged,  more  and  better  work  is  done, 
and  more  time  might  be  utilized  for  mental  un- 
foldment,  more  books  be  written  and  more  read- 
ing done,  more  public  lectures,  and  more  fre- 
quent discussions,  and  greater  elucidation  of  sub- 
jects to  brighten  and  advance  the  mind  and  give 
breadth  to  thought,  and  thereby  develop  soul. 

All  we  have,  and  all  we  may  acquire  is  fol- 
lowed by  discontent,  a  yearning  and  desire  for 
still  a  larger  share,  and  this  is  a  foundation  for 
growth.  It  is  the  soul's  unrest  that  prompts  to 
action,  and  action  leads  to  results,  although  the 
results  are  not  always  such  as  meet  our  favor, 
but  improvement  upon  what  seems  to  be  an 
error  is  another  step  toward  success. 

Brick  after  brick  must  be  located  in  the  build- 
ing of  a  wall,  and  if  the  brick  should  fail  to  fit, 
the  suggestion  comes  to  shorten  or  to  narrow  it, 
until  the  vacancy  is  filled ;  and  even  in  such  a  sim- 
ple problem  there  is  as  much  accomplished  in 
the  development  of  the  builder's  mind  as  in  the 
perfection   of   the   structure   over   which   he   has 


THE     LIGHT     WITHIN  287 

control.  So  life  is  worth  the  toil  and  care  and 
all  the  varied  experiences  to  build  and  magnify 
the  ego,  or  the  I,  within. 

Where  there  are  perplexities  and  seeming  ob- 
stacles to  encounter,  there  will  often  be  a  greater 
mental  aptitude,  the  result  of  greater  opportuni- 
ties for  thought. 

Wisdom  is  the  fruit  of  experience,  and  wis- 
dom is  an  important  integral  of  man's  spiritual 
constitution,  a  full  development  of  which  will 
link  the  mortal  more  intimately  with  the  immor- 
tal, and  will  the  more  closely  fuse  the  soul  of 
man  into  a  oneness  with  the  great  Over-Soul 
which  includes  all  goodness,  all  love,  and  all  wis- 
dom. 


THE  LIGHT  WITHIN 

TjC  ELP  from  Heaven  is  at  hand  when  the  mind 
1^    of  man  is  ready  to  receive  it- 

The  sun  is  always  shining  and  when  there 
is  nothing  to  obstruct  its  rays,  it  will  bless  all 
with  light  and  warmth.  It  is  no  respecter  of 
persons.  The  high  and  the  low,  the  good  and 
the  evil,  the  wise  and  the  foolish  are  all  equally 
welcome  to  its  genial  influence,  but  all  do  not 
receive  it. 


288  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

If  man  but  keeps  in  the  focus  of  the  light,  there 
would  be  a  constant  beam  presented,  but  clouds 
will  come  in  the  midst  of  day,  and  the  earth 
revolving  changes  in  position,  so  that  all  nations 
may  in  turn  be  blest.  It  is  day  and  night  alter- 
nately, that  all  of  earth's  people,  in  every  land 
and  on  every  sea,  may  share  in  its  unselfish  ben- 
ediction. So  with  the  light  and  loving  warmth 
of  the  unseen  world  towards  earth. 

There  are  living  souls  unseen  by  man  that  hover 
near  all  homes,  that  never  weary  in  their  work  of 
shedding  the  light  of  wisdom  and  the  warmth 
of  love,  for  kindly  help  whenever  it  can  be  ac- 
cepted. And  if  man  but  turn  his  heart  to  the 
good,  or  God  and  seek  the  way  to  gain  his 
blessings,  they  will  fall  upon  his  head  like  dew 
upon  the  flowers,  and  light  will  come  to  guide 
him  on  his  way  of  moral  rectitude  and  rif^*^ 
eousness,  as  was  wisely  planned. 

Man  was  not  placed  on  earth  to  grope  nis 
way  in  darkness,  not  knowing  right  from  wrc  ^• 
every  human  soul  has  a  guide,  a  compass  to 
mark  his  way  and  point  unerringly  to  the  path 
that  he  should  tread.  There  is  a  consciousness 
of  help,  if  he  but  waits  to  see  its  glow,  but  many, 
yes,  the  most,  today  turn  aside  from  the  inner 
guide,  and  are  led  by  impulse  and  circumstance, 
ignoring  the  law  that  is  always  ready  to  guide 
him  over  the  rought  and  crooked  ways.  The 
inmost  light  is  always  shining,  but  the  greed  for 


THE     LIGHT     WITHIN 


289 


gain,  for  worldly  things  and  the  desire  to  rule, 
to  stand  among  the  highest,  becomes  so  strong 
that  the  rightful  place  is  overlooked,  and  con- 
science becomes  so  seared  that  dark  and  darker 
the  clouds  collect,  and  the  light  of  heaven  be- 
comes unseen,  and  the  warmth  of  love  unfelt,  as 
do  the  rays  from  the  god  of  day  when  shadows 
intervene,  or  we  place  obstructions  between  our- 
selves and  the  generous  solar  beams,  and  then 
lament  that  we  feel  no  heat  and  see  no  light. 

We  may  go  out  in  the  blaze  of  day  and  walk 
in  the  warming  beams  of  light  that  are  willing 
and  ready  to  penetrate  every  crevice,  or  open 
door,  but  when  the  light  is  all  excluded,  with 
doors  all  closed  and  curtains  drawn,  artificial 
light  and  heat  are  sought  to  compensate  for  what 
nature  would  have  freely  given. 
-.  So  it  is  in  a  moral  sense.  Instead  of  the  real 
substantial  light  that  God  has  granted  all,  to 
»ome  the  beam  is  broad  and  bright,  and  the 
nind  accepts  a  glow  supreme,  while  to  others, 
Dut  a  taper  stands  a  flickering  unsteady  light, 
for  there   is  no  room  for  more. 

The  taper  is  experience  and  will  enlarge  if 
the  wick  is  trimmed,  and  if  the  lamp  is  filled 
with  the  oil  of  reason  the  way  will  be  made 
clear. 

We  train  our  children  to  spell  and  read,  to  un- 
derstand the  rules  for  solving  problems,  and  for  de- 
fining words,  and  legal  statutes  are  revealed ;  the 


290  THE    LOGIC   OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

loss  and  gain  of  worldly  wealth,  to  avoid  the  first 
but  to  secure  the  last.  From  very  early  childhood 
this  training  comes  to  the  youth  for  entering  the 
arena  of  commercial  affairs. 

Years  are  devoted  to  the  claims  of  politics  or 
law,  but  very  few  are  carefully  trained  to  un- 
derstand that  there  is  a  secret  monitor,  or  in- 
ward guide  that,  if  permitted  would  light  all  per- 
sons on  their  way  to  righteousness  and  peace 
of  mind. 

In  the  soul  of  a  little  child,  at  birth  these  guid- 
ing seeds  are  planted,  and  wnth  a  little  daily  cul- 
ture, they  would  develop  and  tend  to  unfold  a 
character  with  conscience  and  an  inw-ard  force 
that  would  move  to  acts  of  justice,  to  deeds  of 
charity  and  love,  to  be  a  light  and  guide  in  all 
the  acts  of  life.  Temptations  would  fail  to  bend 
their  acts  toward  evil  ways  and  justice  would 
be  a  pleasure. 

By  such  illuminated  souls  the  w^eak  would  be 
protected,  the  thoughtless  would  be  held  from 
danger,  and  as  the  young  develop  in  years  and 
strength,  this  light  within,  this  "still  small 
voice"  would  increase  in  potency  and  would  be 
equal  to  the  emergencies  of  life,  let  come  what 
temptations  might,  or  whatever  adverse  influ- 
ence should  be  thrown  in  their  way  to  weaken 
moral  purposes  and  to  draw  the  mind  into  the 
popular  currents  that  lead  to  wrong. 

The    God    within,    the    voice    of    righteousness 


THE    VICISSITUDES    OF    TIME  291 

would  speak  so  loud  and  strong-,  it  would  turn 
the  heart  from  evil  plans  to  entice,  or  to  rule  the 
higher  nature  and  in  triumph  the  soul  could  well 
exclaim,  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Statan,"  for  I  will 
serve  the   Lord. 


01 


THE   VICISSITUDES   OF  TIME 

11  IME  goes  apace  as  reckoned  l)y  the  calen- 
dar. The  seasons  come  and  pass  away,  from 
spring  to  autumn,  then  winter  is  here  and  very 
soon  the  spring  is  back  again,  and  this  we  call 
a  year.  The  seasons  bring  their  products  and 
their  labor.  Summer  with  its  warmth,  length 
of  days,  and  flowers ;  autumn  has  its  fields  of 
grain,  the  high  brown  hills  and  fruits  and  joy- 
ous times ;  and  winter  of  a  sterner  nature  brings 
us  wind  and  storm ;  then  when  this  chilling  sea- 
son goes,  spring's  young  life  comes  back  again. 
These  changes  are  typical  of  all  existing  things. 
The  revolution  of  the  earth  around  the  sun 
typifies  the  constancy,  yet  change  of  things,  not 
only  here,  but,  perchance  in  the  life  to  come. 

What  today  seems  strange  and  new,  no 
doubt  has  always  been,  but  circumstances  for 
a  time  had  covered  the  facts  from  view,  but 
through  the  unfoldment  of  some  other  manifes- 
tations that  wxre  unusual,  there  is  about  to  break 


292  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

upon  the  conscious  race,  the  beginning  of  an- 
other cycle  under  the  title  of  the  "New  Year," 
and  from  this  time  twelve  months  hence,  this 
young  new  year  will  be  old  and  gray,  and  mid- 
night lights  will  flame  aglow,  while  devotees  will 
watch  it  go,  and  will  welcome  the  next  new  time 
to  follow  near. 

So  each  period  that  comes  is  new,  and  each 
that  rolls  away  is  old  to  those  who  have  lived 
it  through,  and  on  the  wings  of  time  great 
changes  come. 

Improvements,  inventions,  new  systems  of  bus- 
iness, new  ways  and  means  develop  for  the  ben- 
efit of  man. 

Many  seemingly  unfortunate  circumstances 
the  world  encounters,  of  both  a  physical  and 
mental  character.  Earthquakes  destroy  whole 
cities  and  towns,  destructive  tornadoes  sweep 
over  hills  and  plains  demolishing  inhabitants  and 
homes.  Great  loss  of  life  and  damage  result 
from  fires,  explosions,  shipwrecks  and  railroad 
accidents.  Many  homes  and  lives  are  wrecked 
by  the  rupture  of  friendly  and  domestic  ties, 
the  rage  for  gold  and  desire  for  fame ;  and  others 
by  disease,  the  result  of  broken  laws. 

Alcohol  in  its  many  alluring  forms  has  laid 
waste  many  a  family ;  parents  ruined,  children 
squandered,  and  starving  babes.  Thousand  of 
human  lives  are  sacrificed  through  ignorance  or 
willful   wrongs. 


THE    VICISSITUDES    OF    TIME  -^"^ 

All  these  ever-changing  circumstances,  these  so- 
called  misfortunes  have,  no  doubt,  been  balanced  by 
the  good  achieved  in  awakening  the  slumbering 
thousfhts  of  both  rr.  en  and  women,  as  to  how 
much  suffering  ana  untimely  death  could  be 
averted  in  the  time  to  come.  New  energies  have 
been  aroused,  new  plans  conceived  and  tried; 
more  permanent  structures  are  being  built,  more 
fire-proof  and  less  easily  toppled  down. 

The  ocean's  fleet  and  transit  steamers  have 
been  made  more  durable  and  safe  for  human 
transportation,  and  for  traffic  on  the  seas. 

The  soul  of  humanity  has  been  thrilled  with 
terror,  to  the  extent  of  greater  thought,  to  a 
more  thorough  investigation  and  understanding 
as  to  how  improvements  can  be  made  whereby  all 
grades  of  society  may  reap  the  benefit ;  how  an 
equalization  of  wealth  can  be  established,  that  the 
rich  may  share  with  the  workers,  from  whom  this 
wealth  has  come ;  how  the  youth  of  every  grade 
may  rise  to  the  full  estate  of  self-respecting  ma- 
turity;  that  all  may  share  in  the  comforts  of  life, 
and  all  may  have  some  wealth  to  spare  for  luxur- 
ies beyond  the  absolute  requirements  of  food  and 
shelter. 

Great  changes  come  in  one  year's  time ;  more 
hard  study,  more  thought  development,  whereby 
the  security  of  life  and  liberty  will  be  the  aim,  and 
wrongs  will  be  corrected  in  governmental  mat- 
ters, in  domestic  economy  and  in  social  life.    The 


294  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

peoples  of  the  earth  will  be  in  greater  sympathy 
and  wars  will  lessen. 

Still  greater  inventions  will  develop  for  the  re- 
lief of  brain  and  muscle  ;  hours  of  labor  will  be 
shortened ;  the  tasks  be  lightened,  and  men  will 
not  work  eight  long  hours  every  day  to  secure 
the  actual  needs  of  life  for  self  and  family,  while 
the  income  goes  to  fill  the  coffers  of  the  rich.  Ah, 
no,  this  cannot  much  longer  exist !  Time  and  ex- 
perience and  want  have  forced  the  souls  of  men 
to   feel   for  other's   woes. 

Women  will  find  approach  to  her  natural  place 
in  human  affairs ;  the  rights  of  children  will  be 
respected,  and  love  will  flow^  from  one  to  another, 
where  indifference  or  contempt  had  held  their 
sway.  The  evils  of  past  times  are  met  by  the 
good  derived  therefrom,  as  a  natural  result  of  the 
unchangeable  laws  of  cause  and  effect,  proving 
to  all  discerning  minds,  that  right  must  and  will 
prevail.  That  love  shall  supersede  the  baser  pas- 
sions, and  universal  brotherhood  will  be  the  re- 
sult, as  time  and  its  revolutions  develop  the 
higher  attributes  of  self. 


PROGRESSIVE  HAPPINESS. 

^IIE  frivolity  of  man  leads  him  into  error  and 
Kl^  consequent  unhappiness  from  which  it  is 
often  difficult  to  extricate  himself.     The  enjoy- 


PROGRESSIVE     HAPPINESS 


295 


ment  of  life  need  not  be  curtailed,  every  hour 
might  teem  with  pleasures  if  wisdom  but  select 
the  path  to  tread-  The  triumphant  ecstacy  that 
accompanies  well-doing,  is  a  greater  source  of 
daily  pleasure  than  all  wayward  steps  can  yield. 

The  higher  life  is  gold  in  bank;  the  light  and 
frivolous  course  brings  its  result  which  often 
proves  most  painful.  The  food  that  children 
thrive  upon,  is  not  proper  food  for  man,  and  so, 
with  the  source  of  mental  nourishment.  The 
same  means  cannot  satisfy  the  young  and  the 
more  experienced,  and  to  try  to  cramp  the  yearn- 
ing soul  of  the  adult  into  the  paths  of  ephemeral 
pleasure  is  counter  to  the  design  of  nature.  Chil- 
dren's garments  are  cast  aside  as  unfit  for  more 
mature  years ;  they  would  set  as  gracefully  upon 
the  mother's  form,  as  would  the  pleasures  of  the 
child  or  youth,  upon  the  soul  of  one  matured. 

As  we  approach  the  celestial  city,  we  need 
robes  of  adequate  proportion,  and  of  texture  such 
as  angels  wear,  as  the  garments  are  emblems  of 
the  growth  of  soul.  We  knit  and  weave  our  hab- 
iliments to  fit  the  wants,  as  the  mind  unfolds,  and 
as  the  spirit  grows,  we  turn  from  childish 
thoughts  and  means  of  happiness  that  once  filled 
the  cup,  even  to  the  brim ;  but  in  after  years  the 
capacity  has  changed,  the  space  increased,  and 
at  this  time  the  vessel  of  early  life  is  so  deepened 
and  so  extended,  that  the  frivolous  evanescent 
joys  of  youth  can   scarce  be   recognized  as  any 


296  THE    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

thing  of  value,  and  the  presence  of  such  is  only 
as  trifles,  as  toys  compared  with  the  soul's  real 
wants. 

The  matured  intellect  is  more  fitted  to  grap- 
ple with  God's  eternal  laws;  to  grasp  the  salient 
truths  that  help  the  soul  to  mount  the  hills  of 
science,  and  to  tread  the  meandering  paths  that 
lead  to  the  throne  of  perfect  peace.  It  may  soar 
in  thought  to  the  revelation  of  prophesies  oro- 
claimed  by  the  men  of  olden  time,  and  compare 
what  was  then  foretold  with  modern  experiences, 
and  behold  the  wisdom  of  those  words  made  man- 
ifest today.  It  may  search  the  scriptures  for 
the  seeds  of  life,  as  sown  two  thousand  years  ago, 
and  witness  the  constant  growth  of  those  ster- 
ling principles. 

To  compare  the  present  with  the  past  is  not 
only  a  more  fitting  way  to  entertain  the  more 
matured  minds  today,  but  such  reflections,  inves- 
tigations and  research  add  to  the  soul's  develop- 
ment, and  prepares  us  to  meet  the  men  and  wo- 
men of  advanced  ideas,  who  have  helped  to  move 
the  sluggish  world  of  thought,  and  to  start  the 
fires  of  great  reforms ;  to  light  the  nations  from 
east  to  w^est,  from  north  to  south,  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  love  and  truth  that  were  taught  by  Him 
whose  star  was  sought  at  Bethlehem. 

This  Prince  of  Peace  filled  the  hearts  of  those 
who  unlocked  the  chains  of  slavery  and  freed  a 
race   who  for  centuries  had  been  as  mere  foot- 


THE    REWARD    OF     IXIQUITV 


297 


wipers  for  a  proud  and  haughty  class,  who  denied 
them  privileges  and  rights  accorded,  by  the  laws 
of  justice  to  all  the  human  race.  These  great 
achievements  were  secured  through  earnest 
thought  and  vigorous  work  by  the  toilers  for  the 
future  welfare  of  the  race.  These  noble  souls 
bent  their  energies,  raised  their  voices  and  plead 
for  conscience  sake,  that  the  scales  might  fall 
from  eyes  then  blind,  and  that  the  hearts  of  such 
as  held  the  chains  of  ignorance  about  the  humbler 
class,  might  be  changed  and  softened  to  behold 
the  claim  of  righteousness. 

These  great  progressive  steps  were  taken 
through  an  earnest  desire  to  bring  about  peace 
on  earth  and  good  will  to  all  men  without  restric- 
tions to  sex  or  color,  to  age  or  birth. 


Ol 


THE  REWARD  OF  INIQUITY 

II  HE  divine  law  may  be  summarized  in  the 
SJ'  following  words,  "Do  ye  unto  others  as  you 
would  have  them  do  unto  you !"  By  the  appli- 
cation of  this  law  no  one  can  depart  far  from 
the  Father's  will,  and  when  this  becomes  an  es- 
tablished rule  whereby  all  persons  live,  earth 
will  be  a  paradise  and  heaven  be  near  at  hand. 

But  while  avarice  is  the  ruling  passion,  to 
outdo  our  neighbor  is  the  leading  thought,  to 
tread  upon  the  rights  of  others  and  trample  down 


298  Tilt:  LOGIC  ui"  a  life  time 

tlie  weak,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  will  be  deferred 
to  an  indefinite  time  and  the  opposite  condition 
will  prevail. 

Life's  pathway  would  be  made  easier  and  joy 
would  accompany  the  well-doing,  if  in  every 
field  of  action  this  golden  rule  should  be  applied. 

The  human  mind  becomes  perverted  by  an  over- 
balancing use  of  the  faculties  of  greed,  the  desire 
to  accumulate,  and  gather  in  of  all  the  world's 
wealth,  regardless  of  fair-dealing  or  of  foul,  and 
under  the  weight  of  these  ruling  elements  the 
better  instincts  of  the  race  become  suppressed. 
On  every  side  there  exists  a  mania  for  self-im- 
portance based  on  the  count  of  gold,  or  what  gold 
may  bring,  and  the  true  object  of  life  is  held  in 
abeyance  to  all  other  considerations,  to  the  great 
detriment  of  mankind. 

Honesty,  truth  and  self-denial  are  also  integral 
parts  of  human  nature,  now  made  conspicuous 
through  their  diminished  use.  The  very  seeds  of 
human  character  are  withered  and  deprived  of  life, 
and  there  is  but  little  hope  of  a  rejuvenation  of 
the  original  plan,  whereby  the  human  race  may 
stand  as  the  worthy  co-workers  of  Deity  for  the 
universal  fall  of  all  mankind. 

Great  disturbances  must  come  about  to  arouse 
the  dormant  elements  upon  which  justice  may 
take  root.  Revolutions  must  be  experienced  in 
all  fields  of  thought.  Conflicts  must  necessarily 
arise  between  the  different  factions  of  each  and 


THE    REWARD    OF     INIQUITY  299 

every  government.  Contentions  will  develop,  dis- 
agreements and  warfare  will  be  the  mode  of  set- 
tlement, and  one  nation  will  move  against  an- 
other. Other  people  will  be  aroused  to  indigna- 
tion, and  with  the  false  idea  of  bringing  peace  to 
the  disturbed,  greater  troubles  will  arise  until,  in 
the  hope  and  expectation  of  better  times,  a  worse 
condition  will  obtain. 

From  real  or  imagined  wrongs  the  very  ele- 
ments will  become  unbalanced,  and  the  solid 
rocks  will  quake,  mountains  fall  and  waters  flow 
over  lands  now  dry.  Convulsions  of  a  destruct- 
ive character  will  prevail  in  every  portion  of  the 
world,  and  men  will  flee  from  place  to  place,  wo- 
men will  shriek  with  fright  and  pain,  and  children 
will  be  left  to  perish  for  want  of  food  and  shel- 
ter. 

All  this  and  even  more,  bloodshed  will  prevail, 
where  now  is  no  outward  appearance  of  a  disturb- 
ing influence;  and  this  will  be  repeated  until  the 
haughty  heads  will  bow,  and  concerted  action  will 
take  the  place  of  diverse  opinions  which  became 
the  base  of  universal  contention,  from  which  the 
elements  take  flame  and  the  whole  world  becomes 
redolent  with  discontent. 

After  the  fashion  of  the  downfall  of  Babylon 
will  the  large  cities  tremble,  and  the  earth  will  be 
opened  and  wide  districts  of  land  will  come  into 
the  trenches  made  by  the  seismic  destruction.  All 
this  is  symbolic  of  the  treachery  and  greed,  the 


300  THK    LOGIC    OF    A    LIFE    TIME 

dishonesty  and  unfair  dealings  among  men,  con- 
sequent results  must  be  the  outcome  of  such  men- 
tal conditions  as  prompt  to  all  manner  of  evil. 

A  similarity  of  elements  and  destructive  forces 
are  at  work,  which  if  not  thwarted  by  the  adoption 
of  the  golden  rule  will  be  made  more  apparent 
from  time  to  time,  and  the  unmistakable  results 
be  so  manifest  that  all  will  be  ready  to  exclaim, 
"Has  God  forsaken  His  people;  may  not  this  cup 
be  removed  from  our  lips?" 

In  the  world  of  outward  forces  the  scientist 
may  wisely  give  a  forecast  of  the  weather,  storms 
are  predicted  even  v/hile  the  sun  shines  on  field 
and  forest.  The  seasons  are  determined  to  be 
either  wet  or  dry,  whether  there  will  be  extremes 
of  heat  or  cold,  and  as  certainly  may  we  foretell 
the  future  by  the  present  condition- 
When  wisdom  guides  the  ship  of  state,  and 
honor  is  a  prize  all  hope  to  win ;  when  truth  and 
justice  direct  all  speech  and  action ;  when  honesty 
controls  the  scales  in  all  commercial  dealings,  and 
in  the  hearts  of  men  is  planted  the  roots  of  human 
fellowship,  and  all  may  freely  trust  to  the  worth- 
iness of  each  other,  then  peace  and  good  will  may 
reign  and  the  law  of  equity  shall  prevail,  verifying 
the  injunction,  "Dwell  together  in  brotherly  love 
and  seek  to  make  each  other  happy" — by  a  strict 
compliance  with  the  word  "Do  ye  unto  others  as 
you  would  have  others  do  to  you !" 


THE  GOD  OF  THE  HEBREWS 

^THE  religion  of  the  Hebrews  is  one  we  might 
^^  bring  to  mind  as  the  most  sane  and 
practical.  They  believe  in  God  as  the  supreme 
ruler  and  dictator  ;  the  God  of  Abraham.  Isaac  and 
Jacob,  the  God  of  the  universe  and  ruler  of  all 
nations  and  all  peoples.  The  wise,  the  good,  the 
just,  the  impartial  God  to  whom  they  looked  for 
temporal  and  spiritual  aid  and  in  whom  they 
trusted  implicitly  and  by  whom  they  were  led.  To 
Him  all  praise  was  given,  all  glory  proclaimed, 
whom  they  acknowledged  as  The  God,  there  be- 
ing none  other  beside. 

In  those  earlier  days  men  trusted  and  they 
were  led  in  the  w^ays  of  righteousness  by  Him 
the  Father  and  when  they  listened  to  His  call  and 
were  obedient  to  His  command  all  was  well  with 
them,  and  when  hearts  would  turn  away  from  the 
light  within  and  they  would  disobey,  they  were 
made  to  suffer  the  results  of  sin  and  disappoint- 
ment and  defeat  accompanied  them  in  all  their 
walks  and  works. 

The  God  of  Abraham  rules  today  and  Him 
alone  should  we  obey  and  in  Him  should  we  find 
peace  and  rest,  and  by  Him  only  shall  we  be  blest 
for  there  is  no  other  God  to  whom  we  can  appeal. 
There  is  no  hope  of  satisfaction  from  any  other 
source,  and  God's  laws  are  unchanged  and  we 
must  bow  to  them  in  submission  if  we  hope  to 


302  THE     LOGIC    OF    A     LIFE    TIME 

gain  admission  to  His  holy  throne,  His  heart  of 
hearts,  there  to  rest  in  the  blessed  consciousness  of 
having  lived  in  harmony  with  Him  who  is  our 
Father  and  our  God. 

When  men  or  women  assume  the  part  that  God 
alone  may  claim,  in  their  efforts  to  rule  the  world 
they  will  work  in  vain.  That  God  does  dwell 
within  the  human  heart,  that  He  is  of  all  His 
works  a  part  is  not  an  evidence  that  He  yields 
the  reins  to  tree  or  flower,  not  that  mortal  man 
with  selfish  thought  should  supersede  His  ever- 
lasting plan.  All  things  to  succeed,  or  even  to 
exist,  must  yield  to  the  laws  of  God  and  not  man. 

That  man  is  God,  as  some  assume,  or  that  he 
is  God's  co-equal,  is  in  truth  a  verity  in  propor- 
tion as  is  the  acorn  to  the  stately  outspreading 
oak. 

If  the  acorn  and  the  mustard  seed  should  lie 
upon  arid  soil  like  hard,  dry  lumps  of  clay  that 
wrestle  with  the  wind  and  rain,  and  should  shout 
of  their  inheritance  as  they  tossed  about  and 
vociferate,  "We  are  the  giant  trees,"  "We  are 
fields  of  yellow  mustard,"  "We  have  authority 
equal  to  the  highest  and  broadest  specimens  of 
which  we  are  the  offspring,"  their  imaginary  out- 
cry would  be  as  impotent  and  as  false  as  man's 
assumption  that  he  is  God,  the  God  elect  and  able 
to  assume  control  of  the  universe.  A  ray  from 
the  glorious  sun  might  as  well  proclaim  its 
equality  in  all  respects  to  the  great  orb  of  day.  Its 


THE    GOD    OF    THE     HEBREWS 


303 


individual  power  is  to  the  sun's  effulgency  as 
one  little  grain  of  sand  on  the  ocean's  shore  is  to 
the  great  world  of  rocks  and  land.  The  human 
embryo  might  as  well  declare  its  oneship  in  power 
with  its  parent  or  its  majesty  with  the  maker. 

The  elements  are  there  in  the  embryotic  being 
but  are  far  removed  from  the  seat  of  power  or  the 
throne  of  thought  and  regal  authority-  The  em- 
bryo must  bend  to  law;  the  sun's  rays  are  but 
suggestions  and  man,  although  the  highest  type, 
must  from  necessity  still  lean  upon  the  Father's 
breast  and  live  and  move  and  have  his  being  in 
the  love  and  bounty  of  the  Creator. 

Man  must  yield  to  law  Divine,  as  must  the 
tiniest  cell  that  helps  to  make  the  human  form, 
or  the  undivided  atom  that  helps  to  build  the 
world.  All  must  yield  to  law  and  to  the  behest 
of  environment  and  time,  and  reverently  accept 
the  admonition,  "Be  still  and  know  that  I  am 
God !" 


DISCOURSES  TO  WOMEN 

ON 

MEDICAL  SUBJECTS 

BY 

ANNA  M.  LONGSHORE-POTTS,  M.D. 

Illustrated 

Cloth  Bound,  350  Pages,  Price  Si. 00 

FOR  SALE  AT 

1914  BUENA  VISTA  AVE.,   ALAMEDA,  CAL. 

LOVE,   COURTSFiIP  AND 
MARRIAGE 

BY 

ANNA  M.  LONGSHORE-POTTS,  M.D. 
Highly  commended  by  the  Press  and  PubHc.     Price,  25  cts. 

"It  is  sound  and  wholesome  in  general  tone,  good  morally 
Lmd  physically,  and  is  characterized  by  an  able,  lucid  literary 
style." — Morning  Post,  London,  England. 

"Discourses  to  Women  on  Medical  Subjects"  by  Dr.  Anna 
M.  Longshore- Potts  will  prove  a  boon  and  will  advance  the 
cause  of  woman's  physical  improvement  in  a  ven,'  practical 
manner. — Boston  (Mass.)  Courier. 

"Discourses  to  Women"  by  Anna  M.  Longshore-Potts, 
M.  D.,  is  prepared  from  the  standpoint  of  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  subjects  treated. — Boston  (Mass.)  Evening  Tran- 
script. 


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